A Twist of Fate
by GVLuver
Summary: Can the love of a true warrior bring her back from destruction? Will she ever find out who she really is, or will all of it be in vain as her world slowly crumbles around her! *Still in Progress* Goku/OC
1. Consciousness

_Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Dragonball Z. Believe me, if I did, I would have Goku and Vegeta all to myself. ALL TO MYSELF!_

**Hello Everyone! I hope you enjoy my revised edition of "A Twist of Fate" that I had published as Trista2. Some sequences are still here, but most of it's revised. Thank You for reading!**

**Warning: Sexual themes, language, Violence (APPLIES TO WHOLE STORY!)**

* * *

_Consciousness _

"Do you know who she is?"

"No. How do you think she got here?"

"Have no clue! Hey, Goku, do you have any idea who this is?"

_Who is Goku? Where am I?_

"No Krillin. I wander why Shenron sent her?"

_Shenron? Did she know a Shenron? No...so who...did someone kidnap her! Who were these people! What did they want with her! She felt the trudges of blackness descending. Did they drug her? Is that how she got here, is that what was wrong with her? How many were there, and what did they want with her!? She struggled to open her eyes, but they refused to cooperate. Her brain felt fuzzy. They drugged her! Oh my God! Did these people plan to kill her! She felt hysteria start to grip her, shivers going down her spin. She had to stay awake! What did they want with me!? The blackness started to thicken around the edges of her consciousness. No! I can't blackout now, I might never wake up again! She strained and tried in vain to move anything, something that would let her know that she wasn't drugged. But her body didn't respond, as if she was immobilized by something! Did they really drug her, or is it her own fear keeping her paralyzed? She felt strong arms wrapping around her, lifting her. Icy tingles of terror ran through her body. She had to get out of here! She fought to keep from blacking out, but felt herself losing the battle. She was powerless to whatever they had planned. She finally gave up the struggle as she felt herself being drawn down into blackness. _

* * *

"Has she woken up yet Goku?"

Goku looked up as Bulma walked through the bedroom doorway. Arms crossed over her chest, her chin tilted at a stubborn angle, she gave the girl a worried glance.

"No, not so much as a moan."

Bulma's eyes squinted in worry, her brow narrowed in thought. She chewed on her lower lip as she gazed at the unconscious girl.

"She should be giving some sign that she's waking up. It has been a week, almost two since you brought her here." She turned a worried look back to Goku.

"How exactly did she just "appear" again? She asked, perching herself on the edge of the bed. Goku pinched the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut. He could feel a headache coming on. He looked back up and met Bulma's gaze.

"I already told you what happened. It's not very clear to tell you the truth," he paused, trying to put into words everything that had happened, not quite understanding all of it himself.

Bulma pressed her lips together, "Tell me again, because I don't understand why she would appear to you out of nowhere, and why she won't wake up." Her eyes' went to the source of their discussion, although her mind was going a mile a minute, trying to figure out just what they were dealing with.

Goku laid his head back against the chair and sighed. "I don't know why she won't wake up. As for the other, you will just have to wait until she wakes up and ask her. I have no idea."

Bulma huffed in frustration. "But that _doesn't make any sense!_ Why..."

Goku cut her off, standing and throwing his hands up in the air, "I don't know okay! I don't know why she's here, I don't know where she came from, and I don't know why she _won't wake up!" _He finished in a slightly raised voice, impatient with the questioning, with the fact that this girl won't wake up, and the fact that their one wish was blown, though how, he still didn't know.

Bulma didn't say anything. She could tell he was frustrated, so was she. Goku rarely raised his voice, especially to his friends. She let it go, for once the girl woke up, they could have answers, but for some reason Bulma wasn't counting on it. This girl, this woman, that has been living in her home for almost two weeks, probably knew less than they did. In fact, she bet the woman didn't know squat. It galled her, having to call this person "woman". They didn't even know her name, for God sake!

She slid off the bed, going to the dresser and fiddling with the bottles that lay on top of the heavy oak. She studied them for a moment, then turned back to Goku.

"I'm going to see if I can find something out."

Goku stood up, "You want me to go with you?" He asked, his gaze sliding to the occupant in the bed. Bulma looked at the woman also. Nothing. No eye movement, no twitching, not even erratic breathing. _This isn't right!_ She shifted her gaze back to Goku. "No, you stay here and watch over her in case she wakes up." Bulma gazed doubtfully at the woman again, then left.

"Why won't you wake up?" Goku whispered, gently pushing back the woman's hair. He had to give Shenron credit, she was a beautiful lady. With dark brown hair streaked with golden highlights, gently arched brows, and from what he felt from carrying her, a voluptuous figure. She had been wearing a battered orange training outfit with an emblem he didn't recognize. Now it was sitting, cleaned and folded, in the chair by the window. From the looks of it, even being washed and ironed, it still looked ragged. _Was she fighting in it? Is that why she won't wake up, or is it something else, something I don't want to find out. _ His brows drew together in frustration, hating the fact that as time flies by, they still don't have any more answers then when they found her at Kami's place.

_What is the deal? Why was she sent here, and how?_ He didn't know, and despite what Bulma thinks, he doubted they would any time soon.


	2. Awareness

_Awareness _

_She could here them talking, although she didn't know who "they" were. Am I still being held? she thought, feeling the rising panic starting in her chest. She tried to open her eyes, move her fingers, anything! Her body didn't respond. They did! They drugged me! Oh, God! Oh, God! Rationally she knew that she should be hyperventilating right now, but her body didn't respond to any of her commands. My body's in such a state of shock that it's disconnected with my brain! She thought as her mind screamed for her to get up, show some signs of life, get out! She knew she wasn't in a normal situation, and it terrified her. _

"_Has she woken up yet?"_

_She heard someone else that hadn't been there before. How many are there! And why do they want me! I don't have anything they could possibly want, so why me! She wanted to cry, but knew it was futile. Her body just wasn't responding. Am I in some kind of coma? She had heard about different degrees of coma-like states. Is this one of them? Maybe I could try to listen and figure a way out without them knowing. She felt a little lighter, thinking that maybe she could get the drop on them. _

"_I'm going to see if I can find something out." The person spoke again. She heard footsteps, tracking them and realizing they were going away from her. Good! Leave me be, I don't want this! I want to be back home, in my own bed, safe! She heard a door shut a moment later. She stayed tense, feeling that someone had been left behind. To watch over me!? To make sure I don't escape? She felt helplessness rise up, almost choking her with fear. Blackness started pulling her down again. She almost felt relief. At least I won't be conscious when they decide what they're going to do to me. _

_She didn't know how long she'd been out. But she rose towards consciousness, or whatever sort of state she was in, when she felt a hand brush her forehead. Don't touch me! Oh, God! Don't touch me! She wanted to fling her arm out and smack the hand away. Her body stayed as immobile as ever. She had finally come to the realization that they must have drugged her, because she couldn't do anything. She had to get out of here! She tried in vain to open her eyes, but there was nothing but blackness, not even a sliver of light. Did they have me blindfolded? She didn't feel anything on her face, and didn't feel any binds. So they don't have me bound or blindfolded. Relieved, she felt a moments peace before her brain started working. They're not worried about binding and blindfolding you because they don't intend for you to live. Oh, God! Sheer terror once again raced through her body, and she tried again to open her eyes. Was that light!? She thought she saw a fuzzy outline of a man, but her mind quickly sank back into darkness. Will I ever get out of this! she thought. Will I even live to know!?_

* * *

Goku started, not really knowing exactly when he fell asleep. _What woke me?_ A moment later he heard a whimper, and looked towards the bed. The woman they brought from Kami's lookout was staring at him, her eye's wide with terror.

"Whoa, you don't have to be afraid. We're not going to hurt you. We're trying to help you." The girl didn't respond, just stared, terrified. Goku kept his movements slow, calm, so as not to startle and scare her. It didn't help. He could see her shaking so badly the bed moved. He kept his hands where she could see them.

"Can you at least tell me your name?" he asked in almost a whisper. He watched as she flinched at his words, cowering to the other side of the bed. He didn't move, tried not to stare at her, and waited.

Goku watched as her lips trembled, still to terrified to talk, apparently. He sighed, and she jumped about a foot.

"My name is Goku. I'm the one that found you and brought you here. Honest, we just want to help you. You've been out of it for a few weeks. Do you have any idea what happened, how you got here..." he stopped, feeling that peppering her with questions wasn't the best idea right now.

They watched each other warily. She pushed her back up against the wall, keeping the covers over herself. Goku slowly lowered his hands, getting up, and being as gentle as he could, picked up the tray of food Bulma had ready every hour for the past two weeks. He heard her laboured breathing, and turned around.

"Are you okay? Do you need to see a doctor?" her only response was a squeak. _Man she really is terrified. Maybe Bulma would be better at handling this!_ He set the tray on the night stand, then went in search of Bulma.

* * *

_She watched as the man who had been "taking care of her" left the room. Grateful that he didn't touch her. From the look of him, he could break me in half like a toothpick! She didn't know which was worse; being unconscious and not knowing what was going on, or being conscious and knowing exactly what her captors looked like. Knowing that it would only be a matter of time before they dropped the helpful act and did what they really set out to do. She tried not to contemplate that too much. Ignoring the tray sitting on the night stand, she tried to stand up. Her knees automatically buckled. Oh, God! What did they do to me!? She looked down. No blood or broken bones that she could see. Maybe it's from laying in that damn bed! How long has she been here, anyway? A moment later she realized she wasn't wearing her own clothes. She had someone else's clothes on! She looked around for hers', but only saw an orange beat up karate outfit. Who's is this? That man's? The clothes she had on sure as hell weren't his; they came from a woman. She looked around again, her eyes settling on the food tray. No way in Hell was she eating that! Probably poisoned. She felt panic welling up again, but quickly tapped it down. There's no time to get hysterical! She scolded herself. Find a way out! Now! While he's gone! She went towards the door, half expecting it to fly open at any moment. She pressed her ear to the door, but heard nothing. If he was standing on the other side, she had no prayer. She couldn't fight him. She felt her spirits drop again. This is hopeless! But you have to try, her mind shouted. Sucking in a breath, she grasped the handle. It's not locked! Were they so cocky that they didn't think she would try to escape!? Or was someone right on the other side, waiting on her? Only one way to find out. She jerked the door open. And let out a shuddered breath. There was no one there. That doesn't mean they won't come back, her mind warned. And if they find you...she cut the thought off, not wanting to contemplate the ramifications if she was caught. She slipped out the door. _


	3. Escape

_Escape_

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S GONE!" Bulma shrieked into the phone. Pounding the table in front of her, she squeezed the receiver until she was sure it would crack. "She can't be gone! She wasn't even awake when I left!"

Vegeta held the phone away from him. When he was sure he could hear again, he settled the phone back against his ear. "I mean exactly that. She's gone. Kakkarott stepped out for a moment and when he came back, she had disappeared." Vegeta frowned, not really worried about the woman. The whole of Capsule Corporation was in an uproar. He knew Bulma was having the woman researched, and that the other scientists were having a fit, but it was all a bunch of crap to him. Not worth his time.

"Well dammit! Find her! She doesn't know this place and she needs to be protected for the time being." She huffed into the phone.

"And how do you propose I do that! I can't sense her energy, and I don't feel like searching for her anyway." He smirked, knowing that Bulma would be mad about that last statement, and wasn't disappointed.

"Don't feel like it!" she screeched. "Fine! I'll just have Goku do it, since you're incompetent," she said, knowing that would prick his pride and get him riled up. She was sick of Vegeta acting like this wasn't important. And it was. Very important. For everyone. They had to find this woman.

"Incompetent! Woman, I can beat Kakkarott with one hand behind my back. I'm the Prince of all Saiyans, and he's just a lowlife third class," Vegeta smirked. "I can find the woman before Kakkarott can sniff her out!"

"Good." Bulma stated. She glanced over at the documents that just popped up on her computer. She momentarily closed her eyes. _Forgive me._

"And by the way, you can track her energy." With that parting, she hung up.

"WHAT!"

* * *

_She had no clue where she was. A car whizzed past. She did a double-take. The car had no wheels! What the hell was it using to move! She heard a moaning sound, then realized it was coming from her. Oh! No! I'm losing my mind! I'm freaking out! What the hell is this!? She sank to the ground, wrapping her arms around her knees. She had no money, no clue where she was, and no one to communicate with. She watched as the car went over the hill. She wasn't even sure what planet she was on. What the hell is going on! Suck it up, her mind commanded. Get up and get going! They could be looking for you! She stood, feeling dizziness for a moment before it passed. She started walking again. Maybe it would have been better if I had stayed at that bizarre house. NO! You have no clue what they were planning, what they wanted to do with you! Yes, but getting away had seemed too easy. Was it a game they were playing? Did they love to play cat and mouse before they ultimately killed the person? "How do you know they weren't trying to help," her mind reasoned, "... just like that man said? Did you have an accident, and they found you?" She tried to think back, before waking in the room. All she remembered was a feeling of floating, and a warmth_

_that she couldn't describe. She felt a moment of panic. Why can't I remember anything! WAS I in a coma? But that doesn't make any sense. I remember everything that was said, that I could hear while unconscious. I remember thinking I wanted to be in my own room, safe. She started to panic. Why can't I remember anything! Everything's a blur! The only memory that's clear is me waking up to that man in the orange suite sitting by the bed. Did she have kids? Was she married? She looked down at her hands. No ring. No marking to show a ring was ever on her finger for any length of time. She didn't feel like she had any kids. Shouldn't a mother know that? Sense that? She shook her head. She was making herself confused. First things first! Get to safety, wherever that is, and sustenance. _

_I found her!_

Goku sent out the message telepathically to Vegeta and Gohan, knowing they were looking in other parts of the city for the woman. _I still don't even know her name._ He let out a sigh. Floating about ten feet above the ground, he observed her while she walked, swayed really, towards the countryside. _Where is she going?_ He thought, noticing that she seemed like she didn't even know.

_Where is she?_ Vegeta cut into his thoughts._ Bulma's anxious to have her back at Capsule Corporation. _

Goku clenched his jaw. He wasn't about to let Vegeta scare the daylights out of this girl. He already did a good job of that earlier, even though he didn't mean to. Vegeta wouldn't care. Probably relish in it.

_Don't worry. I'll bring her back. _

He sent out the message, slowly lowering towards the ground. Landing silently, he watched as the woman stumbled, catch herself, then straightened back up. _Probably from lack of food,_ he thought. She hadn't touched the tray that had been left for her, instead fleeing to where he didn't know. _There's nothing out here for miles. Where is she headed!?_ He followed her for a time, finally coming within an arms' length of her and clearing his throat. She spun around, automatically lowering to fighting stance. Goku arched a brow. _Interesting._ He could see the weariness and fear creeping into her eyes.

"Where did you learn that?" he asked, taking a step back, trying to not frighten her...anymore.

Her eyes darted from left to right, then back at him. "What are you talking about?" She straightened, taking a couple steps away from him.

"The fighting stance. Are you a fighter?" He asked, a little wonder creeping through him. He had never met a fighter like her.

He watched as fear and confusion swept across her face. Her eyes took on a faraway look.

"I don't know," she said, the words so soft he had to strain to catch them. Her eyes refocused on him. He saw her swallow. Her hand came up and cradled her throat.

"I can't remember anything before I woke up," she breathed.

He could hear the tremble in her voice. He saw her hands begin to shake. She let out an hysterical laugh.

"I think I'm having a nervous breakdown," she squeaked out right before he saw her eyes roll up. He caught her as she fell towards the ground. He lifted her into his arms.

"Well, isn't this deja vu," he murmured. He glanced down at her for a moment, gently smoothing away the strands of hair, studying the angles of her face. _Man! She's nothing like Chi-Chi was. I don't even know this woman, or what she's doing here! Why do I have such a need to protect her? I shouldn't even be feeling this. _He frowned. _I failed the last time. I have no business getting emotional about anyone right now. _ With a shake of his head, he flew into the air.


	4. Realizations

_Realizations_

** Four Days Later**

Clutching the documents in her hand, Bulma ran up the stairwell, not wanting to pause and catch her breath in case she lost time. She glanced down at the papers, still in a sort of awe at the additional information she found, not only on the woman, but the woman's condition as well. _This is mind blowing, she thought. Amazing, life-changing, and scary as hell!_ Bulma drew in a much needed breath, pausing to calm down for a moment, still trying to process all that had came through. She was a genius sure, but this was a lot to take in, even for her. She started walking, shuffling through the paperwork until she came upon the preliminary report that explained not only the woman's DNA, but also her lineage and bloodline:

"..._and so the Saiyan race was forced to depart their most prominent member of their royal bloodline. The daughter of the sister of Queen Vegeta was once again torn apart from her female offspring, sending the child to Quadrant 5F, where she had been sent once before, only to return four months later, haggard,almost dead. The Queen soon found out that War had broke out among the Curilions, a vicious race, almost more so than saiyans. Although the girl, all of but fifteen, held her own until the last, when a group of their most deadly warriors surrounded her, intent on murder. The girl barely escaped, though no one knows exactly how. This prominent daughter of the people, Princess Marie Beanca Vegeta-san, went on to become one of the most fearsome and deadliest elite warriors on Planet Vegeta. Until one day, almost two years later, she disappeared. Her mother, Darela Vonnaden, the Queens sister, sent out squadrons all over the universe, searching for her only child, to no avail. No one knows what happened to the daughter, but speculation abounded to death, imprisonment, or even to the unheard of, that Princess Marie left on her own accord. The Queen and King of Planet Vegeta helped scour the universe, keeping their own son, a child, close at hand. But soon gave it up as a new threat loomed. When their planet was ravaged by a monster called Frieza. His henchmen..."_

Bulma quickly folded the papers, not wanting to revisit memories of that monster or what Hell he brought to others. She repeated the woman's name in her head. _Princess Marie Beanca Vegeta-san. _ She stopped in her tracks. _Oh My God! Vegeta-san! She's related to Vegeta! That would make her...royalty, almost higher in rank than Vegeta. _Bulma smothered a laugh. Vegeta always brought up his _superior_ race. He thought he was the last of the royal bloodline. Wait until he hears about this! He's going to bust a blood vessel. On second thought, maybe she'd better keep this to herself for awhile. _Just until we learn more about this woman, and what she's capable of. _Bulma gave a definite nod of her head, and turned around. _Maybe I should destroy these and keep the information in a locked file on my computer. _Vegeta had no clue how to work her computer, he never went down there anyway, unless he wanted her to fix something. And don't even get her started on Goku! _He's not as stupid as you think. Goku's a lot smarter than most people give him credit for. _She shook her head, not really wanting to go into that at the moment. Her mind made up, she headed back to her lab.

* * *

_Was she in a coma again!? At this rate, she thought, I'm never going to recover. A few minutes later she deduced that she wasn't, as she was able to move her hands. Her left one brushed up against steel, bubbles gliding along her skin, the sensation somewhat familiar. What the Hell? Was she floating in...water!? She reached up and felt her face. Some sort of mask was attached to her mouth and nose, a long tube going up to...well she didn't know. It took all her effort to crack her eyes open. She WAS floating in water! What is this? She ached all over. She swished her hand around, noticing how odd her hand looked in the green water. Green! It wasn't any kind of water she had ever seen, although something was nipping at the back of her mind. Why did she feel like she's experienced this before? Distorted beeping and tapping reached her ears every few minutes. Now where am I? Wearily, she closed her eyes, succumbing to a semblance of sleep._

"Is she awake yet? I have these reports I need to type up, and I need to finish the new gravity room before Vegeta kills me. These preliminary reports won't get done by themselves you know!"

_She heard people talking, although it was mostly gurgled sound. She cracked her eyes open. And only saw blue hair. Her eyes focused a little more, and she suddenly realized that this was the person that was talking in the room when she was still unconscious. Those must have been her clothes, she thought. She gasped, suddenly realizing, and looked down. Thank God! The clothes were still on. She looked back up, only to meet the twinkling eyes of a woman. Is she laughing at me?_

"Hi, I'm Bulma. So you finally decided to wake up. Well, you should feel better. You have been in the recovery tank for four days." Bulma's eyes studied her for a moment, before looking down at the clipboard she was carrying. She wrote something down, then looked back up, only to meet the confusion and wariness in the woman's own. "It's all right. You're among friends. I know you don't think that now, but you have a lot more recovering to do when you get out, which," she glanced at her watch, "should be in another 30 minutes." She turned around, laying the clipboard on the table behind her. She glanced back at the tank. Bulma looked the woman in the eye. "Your name is Marie Beanca, and you're about," she rubbed her chin, "hmm, I would say around late twenties, early thirties," she paused, "am I right?" Marie didn't give any indication that she heard. Just watched her with a hawk-like intent.

A small smile appeared on her face. "Everything will be alright. You'll see." She left a few important facts out, not wanting to give out too much information until they knew what they were dealing with. _Oh yes! Even Vegeta and Goku will be in danger, if this lady knows more than she's NOT telling anyone, then all of us will have to be cautious, because she could be very dangerous, more dangerous than anyone I've ever seen. _Bulma glanced down at the report again, knowing from testing with Vegeta, that the chromosomes this woman had hidden in her body were astronomical, terrifying if you thought about it long enough. _Let's just hope she hasn't a clue to her power, or any indication on how to wield it. _


	5. Memories

_Memories_

"_Get out now Princess! You'll be killed. I won't allow that. Run! RUN!" Her last remaining guard shouted at her. Marie could feel herself being pushed out the door that connected the great hall to the courtyard. Someone let out a bloodcurdling scream. She looked back. Blood sprayed the walls, already drenching the hem of her cloak. It ran in rivets down the now dead soldiers' chest. His throat was slit almost in half, his head dangling at an odd angle. He landed hard right at her feet, soaking her shoes in blood. Marie reached down and yanked the ax from his back. It was heavy, made out of pure steel, sharpened to deadly precision. Good enough for her. She balanced the ax between her hands, swinging with accurate intent as she split a mans' head in two. One down, about a hundred to go, she thought. She swung again, moving forward, keeping every enemy in sight, listening to the screams and death rattle of every Curilion brought to their knees. Marie sliced again, watching as the body of one of the aliens split across the middle, his torso going left, and the rest falling forward. A small smile appeared on her face. She could feel the voices tuning out as she slashed and diced with deadly precision. She felt her cloak weighing her down. She glanced at it. It wasn't purple any more, but red. Blood soaked her clothes and skin. Dropping it, she leaped over a pile of green soldiers, cutting the head off one and both arms of another that was unlucky to get in the way. No matter. They were all dead anyway. Her smirk stretched to a smile. Oh, they will pay. Oh! How they will pay! "Oh, little girly! Over heeere" She turned towards the singsong voice, passing the ax between her hands. One of Curilion's elite was making his way towards her, grasping a sword as big as him. "Don't you wanna play? Or are you too afraid?" the soldier smirked. He won't be for long, she thought, standing on the pads of her feet, sizing him up, ready to pounce. She watched him as he licked his lips, then cupped his groin. "You wanna play with old Tec. Come on, I'll treat you real nice." He rubbed himself again, holding his sword in the other hand, twirling it around. He stopped ten feet from her, out of slicing range. The rest of the soldiers, what was left of them, converged behind him. The leader, Tec, knocked the ax out of her hands, pointing the tip of the sword at her throat. She swallowed, accidentally cutting herself on it. He smiled as blood ran down the front of her shirt. "Oh don't worry, we won't be too rough, nothing you're not used to anyway. Aren't all you saiyan women whores?" He glanced back with a grin as the other soldiers laughed. "I've heard you start at a real young age," he brought his gaze back to her, "so why don't we test that theory." Marie felt a moment of fear, then rage consumed her, narrowing her gaze to the soldier in front of her. Her vision blackened around the edges. "You won't touch me, you sick piece of shit!" The others started laughing, Tec's grin sliding to a frown. _

_WOMP!_

_Pain sliced through her as her jaw slammed the ground, the skin on her chin and cheek peeling as she slid across the floor. "Don't ever talk to me that way!" She could here him making his way over, sidestepping his fallen soldiers and splashing in the pools of blood. "You will learn some respect when we get through with you." She could feel power coursing through her, almost taking her breath away. Power like she'd never felt before! "What is this?" she thought, not really thinking about the men behind her, intent on raping and killing. She rose up on her knees, feeling her body vibrate as another wave of energy moved through her. Her vision started to go black, then red. She sensed him come around beside her. He squatted down."And when we're done with you," he whispered, "we're gonna take REAL good care of your cousin." His laugh sent a shiver down her spine. "Don't..." she gasped, "don't you touch him." He grabbed her hair, __jerking her head back. "And just what are you going to do about it, you worthless piece of female flesh," he grinned, showing his razor sharp teeth. Marie gasped again, paralyzed, not really knowing what was happening to her. She felt the energy and rage vibrating and coursing through her, it's strength almost unbearable, each wave more intense than the last, until she couldn't stand it any longer, and screamed. _

She woke up, letting out a bloodcurdling scream. Clutching the sheets in a death grip, she tried to calm her shallow breathing. She heard footsteps running up the stairs moments before someone crashed through the door. Goku stood there. Behind him Bulma and her husband, Vegeta. _Why does he look familiar to me?_ She heard the thought quickly cross her mind, dispelling it a moment later when she looked down at the bed. _Oh My God!_

"What the hell?" She looked up at Goku, then back down at the bed. She lifted her arm, watching as strips of her sheet disintegrated into dust. The whole bed was scorched! She jumped up, shaking, rattled to her bones. "I..." she gulped, then looked at the group in the doorway. "I have no idea what happened." They all looked at the bed again, then back at her. "I..." she said again, not really sure how to finish the sentence. She gulped again.

"What were you doing?" the man, Vegeta, asked. She glared at him, her jaw set, fear becoming momentarily forgotten. "I was sleeping," she said through clenched teeth. Marie glanced at each of them.

"Did someone try to set me on fire?" she commanded. Astonishment passed across each of their features, seeming too real to be faked. Goku sputtered. "Why would we do that? We're not here to kill you Marie!" She glanced at the bed again. "Something odd happened, and it happened to me." Glancing at the others a moment longer, she pushed her way through and ran down the stairs.

Everyone looked at each other for a moment before Goku went over and put his palm to the bed. Yanking his hand back a moment later, he turned a shaken and white face towards Bulma and Vegeta. "It's..." he paused, looking back down at the bed. "It's scorching hot!" Goku's voice trembled. He followed the scorch marks, finally resting his gaze on the ceiling.

"What the hell happened to my house!?" Bulma screeched, following Goku's gaze, staring in horror at the huge hole in the roof. The whole left side of the room was scorched, blackness covering almost everything. Not wanting to show exactly how rattled he was, Goku gulped down his unease, leaving the room in search of Marie. "Who's going to clean this mess. I'm not! Vegeta, do you recognize anything. Do you know what could have done this? I swear, I can't keep an intact home. Every time I..." Bulma's voice faded as Goku made his way through the kitchen, his walk turning into a run when he felt Marie's energy begin to fade. _What the hell is going on here? I know Bulma is hiding something, but is it about Marie, or something else entirely? And why is she so wary and jumpy around her house guest lately? _Goku frowned, racing from the compound at a dead run.

* * *

Marie's steps faltered, her energy waning, though she didn't know why. _What's wrong with me!_She put a hand to her forehead. Not hot. So...she spent, what, four days in that...recovery tank? She should be fine. She felt like she'd been hit with a load of bricks, repeatedly. _Not enough sleep,_her mind answered, _You haven't been getting any rest. It's one thing after another, and to top it off, you don't know anyone here, you don't know how you got here, and you don't know where you came from!_ She felt sick, nausea burning the back of her throat, her eyes watering. She let out a shuddering breath, forcing the feelings of sickness and helplessness away. _You have got to stay strong! For yourself, for your family. You are an elite! Nobody can touch you! Nobody can come close! _Marie's brows narrowed. Where did that thought come from? What's an elite? A flash of her dream crossed her mind: bloodcurdling screams, a man's dying gaze, blood spilling from his mouth, a blood drenched ax. So much blood! She shuddered, forcing the images away. _Is that what elite means? Am I a soldier? Did those scorched remains happen because of me? Did I cause them? _Marie felt panic well up inside her. _What am I? WHO am I?_

Goku appeared moments later, quickly glancing back at the yellow dome peeking just above the hillside. He could here Bulma screaming again, almost two miles back, at Capsule Corporation. _Probably about the damage,_he thought. Turning around, he watched the play of emotion cross the face of the woman in front of him. Panic finally settled on her face, and she gazed up at him with a stricken look. "What am I?"

Goku didn't say anything, just gently pulled her into an embrace. He wrapped his arms around her, cradling the back of her head with his hand, her cheek resting against his shoulder. He felt a shudder go through her before she whispered, "Am I a monster?" He tightened his hold for a moment. "No," he said softly, "you are anything but." She pulled away.

"How do you know? You know next to nothing about me! Shit! I don't know anything about me! For all you and I know, I could be a cold blooded killer!" Flashes of her dream passed before her eyes. _Or was it a memory? _She shuddered. Goku grasped her shoulders, shaking her a little. "I know!" he said intently. "I know because...because..." he trailed off, his jaw clenched.

"Because what? Because what Goku? This is making me crazy! You don't know!" She grabbed his shirt, bunching it in her hands. "I don't know! I'm afraid to even find out," she said softly. Goku's hands tightened for a moment.

"I know," he whispered. She shook her head, denying his words. "How could you Goku, I've been racking my brain for something, anything! Any kind of clue as to where I came from, who I am. I've been here long enough for something to at least come back, to remember something! But still haven't been able to find out anything! So tell me!" She lifted her head and met his gaze. "How Goku?"

"Because of this!" he whispered fiercely before swooping down and capturing her mouth with his. Marie tensed in shock, then let out a low moan, wrapping her arms around his neck. Grasping her hair, he tilted her head back, deepening the kiss. He felt her shudder, moving her hand down and lightly racking her nails across his abs. He rubbed her back, finally running his hands down, and cupping her behind. Goku moved his mouth down her neck, licking and nipping the way to her collar bone. He heard her growl, low in her throat. He moved to the other side, slowly backing her up against the wall. "_You need to stop, before it get's too far!" his conscious demanded. _Goku reluctantly lifted his head, his lower body still pinning her. He pressed his hands against the wall, on either side of her face. He gazed down at the woman he was becoming to care a great deal for. With eyes still closed, she let out a little breath, licking her lips. He felt his body react. Clenching his jaw, he willed himself to calm down. Marie slowly opened her eyes. She met his gaze, confusion apparent in her own.

"Why did you do that?" she asked, touching her mouth with her fingertips.

"I didn't think this was the best place to continue," Goku said softly, rubbing his thumb across her cheek. He dropped his hand a moment later when she started shaking her head.

"No! Why did you kiss me in the first place?" Marie looked up at him, her eyes swimming with uncertainty. He saw her lick her lips, and groaned.

"I thought it was obvious!" He let out an exasperated breath. "I care for you. I've been around you this whole time and haven't been able to get close enough to you to show how much I do care." He ran a hand through his hair.

"How can you care for me when you don't even really know me!" she asked, shoving away from the wall.

"I know enough," he growled, the passion that fired his veins moments ago slowly dissipating. "How can you not realize, when I've been by your side every step of the way. Trying to help you, take care of you!"

She shot him a hard look. "No one asked you to," she said harshly, her voice almost unrecognizable. She took a step closer, coming within inches of him. Her face changed right before his eyes, vivid in it's intensity. "And I don't need a keeper." she stated, her eyes flashing blue for a second before returning back to brown. Goku gazed at her a moment longer, then stepped back.

"Fine," he snapped, narrowing his eyes. With a burst of energy, he shot into the air. A second later he was gone.


	6. Revelation

_Revelation_

She was roused by the drops of rainfall splattering on her forehead. Marie opened her eyes. She was sitting by the side of the road. _How long have I been out here? Did I black out again? _She glanced up. The sky was a midnight blue, stars blanketing the expanse night. She could see by the light of the moon that a huge storm was headed their way. _What the hell is going on with my mind? Is this a result of trauma, or is the reason darker, more terrifying? How can I get any answers if I keep skipping hours at a time!? I need to get out of here, get some real answers, instead of speculating. _She stood up and brushed herself off, checking for any signs that she was hurt. Then she clenched her hands and started walking back towards Capsule Corporation. She growled low in her throat as a boom sounded in the distance, and walked faster. Just her luck if she becomes sick...again. She watched as lightening streaked the sky. Man, that was close! She looked around, trying to find somewhere to cover until this storm blew over. She saw an opening not far from her. She hurried over to the cave as a bolt of lightening struck where she was just standing. _That was lucky!_ She thought. Marie sat down on the cold, hard ground. She leaned back against the cavern wall. Sighing, she tried to calm her mind, thoughts racing like the wind howling through the trees. About an hour later she was shivering. _This is ridiculous! "Well," her mind answered, "it's your own fault for not going back." _"Shut up," she her arms around her knees, she laid down on her side. Shivering, she curled up, silently cursing the fates who brought her to this godforsaken world. She lay there for a while, listening to the wind howl, the rain splattering against the earth. She looked out of the caverns mouth. Sheets of rain poured down from the sky. She couldn't see past the opening. She sighed and laid her head back down. She closed her eyes and hoped the storm would pass soon. Listening to the drum of rain as it beat down on the outside walls, feeling exhausted, she slowly nodded off to sleep.

* * *

Goku landed outside the cave. _"I had no idea the storm would get that bad!" _he thought, remembering how he had left things between himself and Marie. Not good! He pressed his lips into a thin line. He knew she was going to be mad. He cautiously made his way towards the opening in the cavern, expecting her to fly out any minute, spitting mad. Goku felt a moments relief when she didn't appear. He walked further into the cavern, noticing a figure lying on the floor, curled up. He felt panic well up inside him. _Is she hurt? _ He bent down and smoothed away her hair, the strands in wild disarray. He touched her cheek and noticed right away how cold she was. He frowned, then scooped her up in his arms. She murmured in her sleep, then curled up against him, seeking his warmth. "You haven't had it easy, have you?" he said softly. He ran his hand up and down her arm, trying to warm her. His lips narrowed into a thin line. He lifted her some more, her head coming to rest on his shoulder. She buried her face in his neck. Goku gave a little moan at the contact of her lips against his flesh. Shivering, he rapped his arms more securely around her as he made his way to the entrance of the cavern. He looked down at her as the sun touched her skin. _She's worse than I realized, _he thought, noticing her blue tinged lips. He growled deep in his throat, angry with himself. He shot into the sky, holding her as close to him as he possibly could. Then he made his way South, towards his home.

* * *

Marie came in and out of sleep, not really knowing what was real and what was all in her mind. She felt strong arms wrap around her, offering her their warmth. She graciously turned towards the source, a feeling of being enveloped against a warm body. She stopped shivering inside, grateful to whoever that provided the heat she needed. She felt air on her a moment later. Were was she? She mentally shrugged. She felt safe in these arms. For the moment, she didn't care. She felt abandoned when those strong arms and the warmth had evaporated, leaving her cold again. A moment later, she felt a warm blanket wrap around her, then rustling. A strong arm curled around her waist. She blissfully fell back into unconscious.

*_The Next Morning*_

Marie slowly became aware that she was lying in bed, warmth and softness enveloping her. She kept her eyes closed, enjoying the peace and stillness. She realized a moment later that she wasn't alone. Someone was lying in bed with her! Her eyes popped open. She came face to face with a mass of black hair. _What in the world!_ She raised her head as much as she could, then paused, her brows furrowing. _Goku! What is he doing in bed with me?_She slowly tried to slid out from under him, grabbing the edge of the bed and inching her butt away from him.

"You're going to fall off you go any further."

Marie gasped in surprise. She turned and looked into a pair of black eyes. Her cheeks started to burn.

"I..," she cleared her throat. "I hadn't realized you were awake."

Goku gave her a little smile. "I woke up a few minutes ago."

Marie gave a silent "Oh." Then she looked up at the ceiling, embarrassed. She glanced back over and saw that he was still watching her. She opened her mouth to speak, but Goku cut her off. He reached over and felt her forehead.

"Your not feeling sick, are you?" he asked, gently pushing the hair away from her face.

Marie gulped. "I'm fine," she managed to squeak out.

They were both silent for a moment, then Goku rose up in the bed, crawling over her before sitting on the edge of the mattress. Marie watched as he grabbed his shirt from the floor. He turned around, yanking his shirt down over his stomach. He looked down at her.

"Well," he said, slapping his leg, "are you going to stay in bed all day? We need to start doing some research if we're to find out anything more about your past." She sat up. "Come on Sweetheart, time to get going!" He flung the blanket off her.

Marie shot Goku a dirty look and flung her legs off the bed, jerking the hems of her shorts down, which had rolled up in her sleep. "Can you at least let me get a bath?" Her lip curled. "I'm grungy from sleeping in the cave."

Goku gazed at her for a moment, visions of her in a bubble bath, hair piled on top of her head, one leg extended up as she rubbed soap on her body. _Stay focused!_ He blinked, dispelling the image. _No time for you to be daydreaming when you need to find out what's going on, and fast. Before you make a mistake and fall for her. _  
He held up five fingers. "Five minutes, then I'm leaving without you, got it!" Marie looked him over, finally settling on his grim face. "What's wrong with you?" He grabbed her hand and helped her stand up. "If we're going to find any answers that could explain what's been going on, we need to get a move on. I know there's something Bulma's not telling us, and there's a reason she wants you so close. Actually, I'm surprised she's not banging my door down right about now. So whatever you want to learn, and learn fast, without her interference, we need to get going."

She didn't say anything. Nodding her head, she grabbed a towel and headed for the bathroom. She looked back for a moment, watching his dark head as he bent to straighten out the covers. _What is it about him that I find so irresistible lately? Why does it feel like I'm meant to be here, at this very moment? _She almost groaned. She didn't need any more complications in her life. She noticed as his muscles rippled along his forearms and thighs as he squatted down, tucking the blanket under the mattress. Marie turned away. She could feel herself getting hot. Groaning again, she continued down the hall to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She bent down, turning the knobs on the tub, letting the water rush through her fingers as she waited for it to fill. Finally sinking into the delicious hot water, she contemplated whether or not to hold yesterday against him. "_He did come get you_," her mind softly chastised her. _Maybe I should just let him off the hook, she thought. Why can't I have just one normal day! For once, I would like to be able to relax, not be caught off guard by some gruesome "memory" that doesn't make any sense to me in the first place! I wish there were some quick, easy explanation to all this!_ _Yeah_, she scoffed,_ if it only were that easy!_


	7. Matters of the Heart

_**A/N: Italics represents thoughts and/or memories!**_

Matters of the Heart

Marie pressed a finger to her temple, trying to dispel the headache beating against her skull, the ache more pronounced with each passing moment. She let out a gasp as intense light flashed behind her eyes. "_Mother! I'm going to join and that's final. You can't stop me." A moment of silence. "You could never stop me from doing what I wanted, so just quit now before someone gets hurt." _Was she remembering something!? _The echo of doors slamming reverberated through the keep. Her breathing laboured, she ran through the hall, bursting out the massive front doors. If she hadn't been as strong as she was, she could never have opened them. Momentarily blinded by the white, hot sun, she quickly made her way towards the arena, where a gathering of the finest warriors were descending on their planet, intent on besting each other for the chance to become betrothed to her. Or rather, she fumed, her fortune. A sound of disgust passed her lips before pressing them into a thin line. She bypassed the guards, standing at attention under the arch of the massive grounds. Shooting them a look of contempt, she silently dared them to stop her. She clenched her fists. She was sick to death of everyone trying to control her life! She took a deep breath, listening to the clashes of steel vibrating through the air, seeing the bright lights as bodies strained to their peak of power, and walked out onto the blood soaked earth. _

"Marie! Marie, are you okay?" Someone pounded on the bathroom door. She jerked up, sloshing water over the rim of the tub. Rubbing her forehead, it took her a moment to realize she wasn't in some far off arena, but here, at Goku's home.

"I...I'm fine. I just...dozed off for a moment," she said, splashing her face with water, trying to dispel the ache behind her eyes, the hot, salty smell of blood rancid in her nostrils. Reaching forward, she pulled the plug, listening as the water drained, the metal pipes shaking for a moment before settling back down. She heard Goku's footsteps move away from the door, stopping somewhere near the front of the house. She let her head fall to her raised knees, the water dripping slowly from her hair into the tub. Goosebumps rose on her arms as her skin dried. She didn't notice, too busy trying to sort out her emotions, the pain and rage that raced through her mind moments ago. _It had to be a memory! It had to be! The smells,the sounds, even the feelings coursing through me at the time were too vivid, too real! But how long ago was that? How old was I at the time? _She tried to remember anything that was said, anything that could give her clues as to the time line. A memory flashed before her eyes, forcing her to close them as it jolted her back to another time. _She was looking up at one of the soldiers, his lips curving into a small smile before laying a hand on top of her head. A jagged scar marred the left side of his face, starting at his cheekbone, cutting down across his face before stopping at the bridge of his nose. His black eyes were bright with affection, crinkling at the corners as he gazed down at her. He bent at the waist. "Are you ready to become an elite, child?" _

Her eyes popped open. Shaking, she stepped out of the tub, wrapping the towel around her. _Who was that? She knew him! Had seen him before! _Was that in another lifetime, before her amnesia, before her sudden appearance here? Or was it images conjured up by her mind because she wanted to remember so badly? Marie let out a shuddering breath. She won't find out anything if she didn't get a move on. Plus she had Goku on her side, ready to help in any way. A blush crept up her neck as she remembered what had transpired yesterday afternoon. _He said he cared for you. You could use that to your advantage. _Marie paused, confused as to were that thought came from. She wasn't really like that, was she? She wouldn't use someone's own feelings against them for her own gain. Would she? Then again, she really didn't know who she was before all this happened. _What if I am that heartless! That I would exploit someone else to my advantage, not caring about the consequences of my own actions. _God! She hoped not!

* * *

Deep in thought, she dropped her towel, stepping into the bedroom. She bent down to grab her underwear.

"Uh-um."

Marie whirled around, covering her breast with her arms. Goku sat in a rocker in the corner, his arms resting on his knees, hands clasped together. She took a step back, glancing around for something to cover herself up with. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and jerked her head back around. Goku slowly stood, his gaze riveted on her figure. Her eyes widened as he advanced, backing up until the back of her knees hit the bed. She fell backwards, her body bouncing on the mattress as she scrambled to sit up. Brushing the hair from her face, she looked up. Goku stared down at her, silently. His eyes darkened, the shadows around his face deepening. A muscle ticked along his jaw.

"Marie..." he whispered. He ran his thumb across her lower lip, sucking in a breath when her tongue darted out and moistened them, wetting the tip of his thumb in the process. Goku groaned. "Dammit!" he growled, right before he crushed his lips to hers. They both moaned. He gently traced her lips with his tongue, feeling her shiver, wrapping his arm around her waist. He could feel his blood heating, and pulled her closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck, all thoughts of nakedness apparently pushed to the back of her mind. He rubbed his hands up and down her body, pausing at the small of her back before moving lower and cupping her bottom, raising her up until she fit snug against him. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer to her. Goku leaned forward and laid her back down onto the bed. He slowly lifted his head, looking down at her. Running his fingers through her hair, he gazed into her eyes. They glowed with need, one of her hands tangled in his hair, the other rubbing down his chest. "Are you sure?" he asked softly, gazing at nothing but Marie's face, fearing that if he looked anywhere else, he would lose control. There was a pregnant pause, then she whispered, "I'm sure." He splayed his hands on the mattress. He lowered his head, bending down until the tip of his nose touched hers.

"I don't think you are." he stated, straightening. Her eyes widened in surprise. Goku took a step back. Marie sat up, staring at him in stunned silence, her mouth working silently. Then she snapped her jaw closed, defiantly glaring at him a moment before she spoke.

"How would you know! So now your telling me how I feel!" She grabbed a pillow, hugging it in front of her as she narrowed her eyes at him. "How could you...you stand there, apparently unaffected, and tell me how I should feel, huh!?"

He ground his teeth together and watched her, saying nothing.

"Well?" she demanded. A moment of silence ensued. Her lip curling, she threw the pillow back onto the bed. Muttering to herself, she quickly went over to retrieve her clothes. "I can't believe you!" she exclaimed, jerking her pants on, almost ripping one pant leg down the seam. "You stand there like a statue, berating me about how _I__ feel_!" she said, pointing a thumb at her chest. She felt her blood heat. "From now on," she stated, raising her voice, "YOU don't say anything to me. Don't touch me, don't lay a finger on me. GOT IT!" She bent down to pick up her shirt, only to be lifted into the air, pressed against hard, male flesh. She looked down into eyes molten with heat.

Goku slowly lowered her to the floor, his arm clasped tightly around her waist. "Don't think that I don't want you. It's not that, _never that_." He paused. "We need to get a few things straightened out before anything remotely resembling a relationship starts. There's too many things happening right now, okay? We can't let sex complicate matters." He gently released her, taking a step back.

"Goku," she started, "just because you're a _male_ doesn't mean you get to make all of the decisions! I'm fairly capable of putting two thoughts together to form an opinion!" she paused, jabbing her finger against his chest. " And another thing! If you're hell bent on nothing happening between us, WHY do you keep starting something you won't finish!" She watched as he closed his eyes for a moment, then slowly opened them, focusing his dark gaze on her.

"Because I can't help myself." he whispered, letting his arms fall to his sides, hands balled into fists.

She studied him for a moment. Her voice barely above a whisper, she said, "I think you should leave."

Goku's lips parted in surprise. He lifted his hand to lay it on her shoulder, but she swatted him away, squaring her jaw. She pointed to the door.

"Get OUT!"

He studied her a moment longer, then made his way across the bedroom, shutting the door softly behind him.

* * *

_Men!Why do they always think the world revolves around them? Just because I'm a woman makes me no less than the male species!_Marie thought, sitting on the bed and quickly donning her shoes. Her brows furrowed in thought. _Why does it always end up in an argument with us! Just because he's too afraid to take our relationship, fleeting though it is, to the next level, doesn't mean that I shouldn't have a say so in it also! He said he cared about me, but how much of it is true? How could he supposedly develop feelings so fast for someone neither one of us knows a lot about!? It could just be a result of being in close quarters with each other for a length of time. Could he possibly think he was in love with me? _She quickly dismissed the idea. _Don't be silly!" _she chided herself_. "Just because he feels the need to ravish me doesn't give him the right to do it." "Well,"_ her mind shot back, "_you don't have the right either!"_

"Oh, Shut Up!" she grumbled, straightening her top and heading for the bedroom door.

She silently made her way down the stairs, stopping momentarily. She tilted her head, listening for any sign that Goku was still in the house. _Didn't he say five minutes? It's been a hell of a lot longer than that!_ She listened, the only sound was of the clock ticking in the hall. Almost glad that he wasn't there, she made her way towards the front door.

She let out a gasp a moment later as someone grabbed her arm, twirling her around. She brushed the hair out of her face, eyes narrowing, teeth grinding together as she fumed.

"Goku!" she said, settling her hands on her hips. "What the hell is the matter with you? You don't go grabbing people like that!"

A muscle jumped in his jaw. "We need to talk," he said, folding his arms and leaning against the door frame. He studied her with intense dark eyes.

"I have nothing else to say to you, so if you will excuse me..." Turning around, she quickly jerked the door open.

_Bam!_

She felt the air whoosh past her as the door slammed shut. She turned around, coming face to face with Goku's chest. Keeping one hand firmly pressed against the door, he slowly backed her up until she was squeezed against him and the door. He rested his other hand against the wall, pinning her in.

"I think you do," he murmured, his breath fanning her mouth. Tension crackled between them.

"Goku," she began, fidgeting a little as he seared her with his penetrating gaze. _Click!_ She jumped a little as she heard the lock slid into place.

"Like I said, we need to talk." He straightened, slowly lowering his arms and folding them across his chest.

"You locked me in! What right do you think you have trying to keep me here!?" Turning around, she grabbed the knob.

"eeekkkk!" Goku picked her up and flung her over his shoulder. Wrapping her legs with one arm, he made his way towards the stairs. "Put me down!" she shrieked, beating his back with her fist. Seeming not to notice, he took the stairs two at a time, her thighs bouncing against his shoulder with every step.

"Stop!" _Bounce. _"Now!" _Bounce. _"Goku!" She slid a little to the right as he topped the staircase. Pausing, he positioning her back onto his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "You ASS!" she seethed, trying to wiggle her way down enough to kick him were it hurt. He slapped her rump. "Stop," he demanded, going through a doorway, slamming it shut behind him with his foot. Making his way across the room, he unceremoniously dumped her on the bed. She scrambled off it, bolting for the door. He grabbed her around the waist, and lifting her up, deposited her back onto the bed. She flipped her hair out of her eyes, shooting him daggers. He leaned down, slowly positioning himself over her until she lay on her back on the bed.

"You are so stubborn." he said, narrowing his eyes on her face.

"And YOU'RE a bastard!" she ground out, scooting back and sitting up on her elbows.

He grabbed her thighs and pulled her back down, her hair fanning out behind her on the bed. She grabbed his wrists, still resting on her thighs, and shoved them away.

"Let me up!"

"No."

"Let me UP!" she shouted, smacking the heel of her hands against his shoulder's. He didn't flinch, instead grabbed her wrists and pinned them over her head, the lower half of his body pressed against her legs. She twisted, trying to break free, only resulting in her shirt riding up. She tried again, gritting her teeth in anger. She gave up a moment later, her breathing laboured, his hands still firmly pinning her wrists. She glared up at him, silently cursing him. No one spoke for a few minutes. Then he slowly lifted his legs, sliding them on top of the mattress, resting them on either side of her thighs. Positioning himself more firmly over her, he let go of her wrists. Goku grasped the blanket, his knuckles showing white as he peered down at her.

"Are you ready to talk now, or are you going to keep throwing temper tantrums?" he asked, his eyes never leaving her face. Her gaze sharpened on his, her face hardening.

"Temper tantrums?" she said softly. Marie curled her fingers in his shirt.

"TEMPER TANTRUMS?" she shouted, pushing him hard, attempting to throw him off. Goku fell back, his hands grasping her arms right before he landed on his back, pain vibrating across his shoulder blades as he hit the hard floor, Marie falling on top of him. She quickly scrambled up, pushing him back hard against the floor when he attempted to rise.

"You are an asshole!" She punched him in the gut.

She kicked out her foot, tripping him and making him fall, the loud _thump_ reverberating around the room. He sat there, rubbing his tail bone, glaring at her.

"Just stay away from me Goku!" she said, stomping out of the room, slamming her way out of the house.

He rubbed his butt cheek.

"Damn!"


	8. The Truth

_**A/N: Italics represent thought and/or memories!**_

The Truth

*_Capsule Corporation_*

Someone jumped her as she came through the door. _Attack! Fight, damn it! _Her hands tightened on the persons arms, instinctively ready to throw them through the wall. Her mind cleared a second later. When she realized it was only Gohan, she dropped her hands.

"Man, you're pretty strong!" he said, rubbing his upper arms and gazing at her curiously.

Guilt shot through her. Bending down slowly, Marie rested a hand on Gohan's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry Gohan. I don't know where that came from. It was an immediate reaction. I never meant to hurt you." Gohan wrapped his arms around her neck, slightly squeezing. _Be on guard! Don't let the enemy disarm you. You must be alert at all times, Soldier! Anyone can turn against you. _The words flew through her mind in less than a second, and her body instantly reacted: adrenaline shot through her; her muscles tensed, her feet ready to pounce at any moment; her mind blanking out. She struggled to clear her darkening vision, bringing Gohan back into focus, fighting the urge to disarm him, to kill. _He's just a kid! What's wrong with me?_ She didn't understand anything! Even her own mind!

"That's okay. I'm fine Marie. I'm stronger than I look," he said, flexing his biceps, grinning up at her.

_Behind every smile is an enemy. Never assume anyone is innocent. Every man, woman, and child is a potential threat. Never give in, no matter what!_

The voice echoed through her head. Marie's eyes narrowed in confusion. _Where the hell did that come from!? This is crazy!_

"What's the matter Marie? Are you alright?"

Her eyes refocused on the little boy standing in front of her. She slowly shook her head.

"I wish I knew, Gohan. I wish I knew."

* * *

Hours later, after dinner was served and dishes done, Marie stared up at the ceiling, now patched and looking as good as new. With hands folded behind her head, she continued to watch the play of light on the ceiling, not really seeing it at all. She squeezed her eyes shut, thoughts racing and jumbling to where she couldn't think straight. _Why can't I remember anything else, besides short bits and pieces that seem too surreal, not really me but someone else. They're my memories, right? Or else I wouldn't be experiencing them. And what about earlier, that deal with Gohan. All he did was give me a hug, and I was ready to kill him!What is wrong with me! Why does everything seem like it's going in circles, and I'm stuck in the middle, not knowing who I am or where I came from. Is Goku right, and Bulma knows more than she's telling us, telling me? Is she afraid FOR me, about what I'll find out? Or is she afraid for herself and her friends, keeping me in the dark, hoping that something won't trigger memories, to keep her and everyone else safe? _She sat up. Throwing her legs over the side of the bed, she shot a determined look towards the door. _There's only one way to find out.  
_

*_2 hours later_*

_Oh God! Oh God!_ Marie looked down at the papers strewn across the desk, not really seeing them, instead trying to focus on the jumbled thoughts racing through her mind. Knowing that at any moment, she just might lose it. Text and graphs stared back at her as she tried to come to terms with the information she managed to find. In a locked folder on a computer no less! _I guess no one thought I would go looking, or that I was smart enough to find them. _ A short laugh escaped. She ran her hands through her hair. _Why didn't anyone tell me? Why did they keep it from me? Most of what I've been searching for, wanting to know, right under my nose the whole time and no one ever told me. _She looked back down at the documents. _I'm a...I'm a..._ She covered her face with her hands. _I'M A FREAK! _She immediately started gathering sheets of data, quickly shoving them through a shredder. She plopped down in front of the computer and, inserting a blank disc she found in one of the drawers, quickly made a copy for herself before locking the file back and shutting down the equipment. Rage burned in her gut, and trying to keep a hold on her emotions, stuffed the disk into her pocket. She could feel her mind settling, a sense of calm that seemed too right to question blanketing her thoughts. _Someone's going to answer for this. _A small grin spread across her face, her eyes unknowingly burned like ice. _And I know just who to go to.  
_

* * *

She sighed as the last dredges of sleep lifted. Yawning and lifting her hands above her head, Bulma finally opened her eyes. And screamed. Blue eyes glared down at her.

"You have some answering to do," Marie said quietly. Hands balled into fists at her sides, she appeared deadly still, her eyes never leaving Bulma's.

Bulma could feel her breath coming in spurts, her mouth opening and closing, her whole body shaking. _Oh No! Is she going to kill me!?_ Her eyes darted to Vegeta's side of the bed, noticing he was still sleeping soundly, then widening a moment later when she realized he hadn't even noticed Marie come in. Bulma shot a frantic look back at the woman. She hadn't moved a muscle, eyes never even moving, but it seemed like she glowed brighter, more intense. Streaks of her hair flashed golden for a second before fading back to brown. _Oh My God! She knows!She's going to use her powers on me!_ She thought hysterically. She swatted Vegeta's shoulder. He jumped up, his boxers bunched around his thighs.

"What the hell are you hitting me for? What's going on..." Vegeta trailed off. His eyes widening for a second before narrowing, his fists raised. He looked back down at Bulma.

"What's the meaning of this?" he demanded, gesturing toward Marie. Bulma shook her head, not being able to get a word out through numb lips. She quickly scrambled to his side of the bed, grabbed his arm and scurried behind him. Marie's eyes never left her.

"Vegeta," Bulma whispered, "can you..." she swallowed. "Can you talk some sense into her. Maybe get her NOT TO KILL ME!"

He glanced down at his wife, then back at the woman standing by their bed. He sneered.

"So what, now you're a voyeur, coming and watching people sleep?"

Marie didn't stay anything. Didn't flinch.

"Answer me, Damn you! You have a hell of a nerve to be walking into MY quarters." Vegeta took a step towards her. She raised her hand. He froze.

Bulma looked back and forth, from one to the other. "Vegeta, do something!" she squeaked. His muscles bulged as he strained against some unseen barrier, his face darkening in rage. "I can't!" he said through clenched teeth. Bulma's eyes widened.

"Let me go, damn you! LET ME GO!" Vegeta screamed, sending out a rage of energy, power pouring off him, his eyes turning pale blue, his hair the color of the sun.

Marie didn't flinch. Her eyes unnervingly steady on Bulma.

"Answer me. Now." she said, her voice eerily calm. She took a step forward, slowly making her way around the bed. Vegeta grunted, as though in a vice that was getting too tight.

"Don't you dare harm my wife! I will kill you!" Vegeta threatened, gritting his teeth and struggling in vain to get out of whatever power cord she had wrapped around him.

Marie gave no indication that she heard him. She came to stand within three feet of Bulma.

"Now!" she said more forcefully.

A moan escaped her lips. Bulma looked at her through her fingertips. "Please don't hurt me. I swear, I thought it was for the best. I was going to tell you eventually. I just didn't know if it was safe yet." She flinched back, expecting a mind numbing blow. Silence. She peeked through her fingers, noticing Marie studying her.

A few tense moments passed before Marie abruptly said, "Okay," and lowered her arm. Vegeta let out a breath as he was set free, then took a threatening step towards her, but Marie didn't seem to notice, or care. She studied Bulma's face a moment longer, then glanced at Vegeta.

"Living room," she said matter of factly. "Five minutes."

With that she left, leaving a terrified woman, and a confused Saiyan behind.

* * *

They warily stepped into the living room, half expecting a blast to come towards them. But nothing happened. They both peeked around the corner. Marie was sitting on the ledge of the balcony, one leg bent, an arm stretched out on top, the other leg laying flat. She appeared deep in thought. Bulma motioned for Vegeta to hurry towards the couch, out of Marie's line of vision. She sat, while Vegeta crossed his arms, standing next to the arm of the couch. Nobody said anything for several minutes. Bulma glanced at Vegeta, who shrugged.

They both jumped at the sound of Marie's voice. "You had no right to keep any information from me. I understand your need to protect yourself and family," she said, still gazing out at the vast expanse of sky. "BUT, what if something happened, and I hurt somebody?" She turned her head and looked directly at them, as if knowing where they were the whole time. A shadow passed in front of her eyes. Bulma felt a shudder go through her, noticing for the first time just how different the woman's eyes were. They were harder, colder. Marie jumped down. Bulma scooted back against the arm of the couch. She felt Vegeta glance at her, but didn't turn her head. She watched as Marie walked slowly towards them, stopping within a few feet of Vegeta.

"Tell me everything you know Bulma." she said, her gaze intense. Bulma shot a glance at Vegeta, then back towards Marie. She cleared her throat.

"Um, Vegeta, you may want to sit down for this. Actually both of you might."

Vegeta looked at her, then at Marie, then back at her. "Why!" he demanded.

She glanced up at him, then grabbed his hand. "Because this involves you to."

She watched as disbelief showed on his face, then incredibility. But he sat, nevertheless. She glanced at the woman standing in front of her. "You might want to also."

Marie studied her for a moment, then perched on the arm of the chair situated across from them. And waited.

* * *

Vegeta gritted his teeth. He glanced at the woman seated across from them, still trying to figure out where she had gotten that sort of power. _This is ridiculous! She's not even a Saiyan! _He narrowed his eyes. _Is she!? I can't sense any kind of power surging from her, not even her life force. It's like she doesn't even exist at all! But she's sitting right in front of me! Has she figured out a way to mask her power, her energy?_ Bulma's voice slowly penetrated his thoughts. He stared at her in disbelief a moment later.

"No! I refuse...I refuse to believe that that woman," he jabbed a finger at Marie, "is related to me!" He stood up. "Woman, if this is some kind of joke, you will be truly sorry. I don't have any family! Me, Kakkarott, and that spoiled brat of his are the only saiyans left. YOU have got your information wrong!" Vegeta balled his hands into fists, then headed for the door.

Bulma jumped up. " I don't have my information mixed up. I'M SMARTER THAN THAT! Stop being a jerk! I know what I read, and...and...you need to get back here!" she yelled at his retreating back. Vegeta ignored her, passing through the doorway and slamming it shut behind him.

All the while Marie sat, brows furrowed, deep in her own thoughts.

"_I know what I read before was accurate, but coming from the person who actually dug the information up, and knew how to read the more complicated charts, is still mind reeling! Am I...have I actually been living with a relative and not known it? And if I'm related to Vegeta, why aren't I anything like him? _Thoughts of what happened the day before flitted through her mind. _"If that was really me thinking that yesterday, then was I more like him before? How long have I been away from home? Where have I been? _She curled her lip, frustrated to have some of the questions answered, only to have those answers cause even more questions! She glanced at the door Vegeta went through. _"If I'm supposed to be closely related to him, was I as bad as everyone says Vegeta was? Or was I worse? Did it get so bad that they sent me away? And if so, where did they send me? Where have I been this whole time?_ A jolt went through her, trepidation tingling down her spine. _"I'm supposed to be at least ten years older than Vegeta...so why do I look like I'm in my twenties? Bulma said we age slower than humans, but this doesn't make any sense!" _She refocused, her eyes finding Bulma, who was sitting there, watching her, but perked up when she started talking.

"If I'm supposed to be older than Vegeta, why don't I look it?"She sent Bulma a confused look. "Not only that! Why can't I remember the last...what, twenty years of my life!?"

Bulma layed a hand on her wrist. "We're still trying to figure that out," she said softly, "and believe me, anything, and I do mean anything, that comes to you, you need to tell me, so that we both can fully understand what's happened to you." Marie gave a small nod of her head, turning to look out of the balcony windows. Bulma stood up, intending to follow Vegeta and have a few choice words with him, when Marie's voice stopped her.

"One more thing," she said, softly. She turned back towards Bulma.

"Why can't I fly?"

* * *

**I hope you've enjoyed the story so far. As you can see, Marie is slowly learning about her past. Although she's had no training, that she knows of, she instinctively knows what moves to use against an opponent, like she did with Vegeta. Please be patient! This is only the groundwork for what's to come. And again, thanks for reading.**


	9. Consequences

_Consequences_

_She lifted her head, closing her eyes. Her chest expanded as she breathed in the slight tangy smell of sweat. The wind rushed over her, lifting her hair away from the nape of her neck, cooling the beads of sweat running from her temple, to pool in the hollow of her throat. The air wrapped around her for a moment before sweeping through the valley, the sound of trees rustling reaching her ears from far below. She stood still, slowly opening her eyes and studying the vast expanse of sky before her, the rocks at her feet falling far below as she stepped closer to the edge. A couple moments past before the crash echoed through the valley. She slid closer, the cliff dropping straight down mere inches from her feet. She sucked in a breath, slowly letting it out as the tension between her shoulder's abated. She breathed in again, enjoying the feeling of freedom, though fleeting, rush through her body. She smiled slightly as her thoughts settled, the images jumbled and erratic a moment before, slowly dissipated, the shouting that had echoed through her mind, slowly giving way to silence. She savored the moment of utter peace, the headache that was constantly pounding pushed to the back of her mind. Standing in perfect stillness, the light of the sun gently beating down on her, she spread her arms, taking in all she could. She watched as the sun deepened, the sky slowly giving way as night descended. She curled her tail around her waist, closing her eyes to get a few more moments of peace. She crossed her arms. She knew it wasn't going to last. As the night sky lit up with stars, she listened, arms folded, her ears picking up a slight whooshing far over the horizon. Moments of peace forgotten, she mentally prepared herself for the onslaught as the noise came closer, the cause of it landing a few feet behind her. Great, she thought, I don't want to deal with this idiot. She could hear his tail swish along the ground in agitation, apparently annoyed that she hadn't acknowledged him yet. Her brows furrowed. A slight smell of apples assaulted her senses. Mother, she thought, frowning. "Your mother wants you back at headquarters, now." She cracked her eyes open, quietly yearning for the peace and tranquility that seemed to stretch over the valley. Pushing the feeling away, she lifted her eyes and looked into the night sky. "You need to return to your duties, NOW!" She closed her eyes, tensing at the force of his voice. The silence was deafening as she felt him step towards her. At the sound of her voice, he stopped. "Duties," she stated, pausing and taking a deep breath. "And what pray tell is so important that my mother had to drag you away to come hunt me down?" She turned, piercing him with cold, hard eyes. Her tail came unraveled, swaying against the ground, bristling as she glared at the man before her. "Mmmm?" Her eyes narrowed, "Oh,you mean Vegeta." She snorted, wrapping her tail once again around her tiny waist. She looked her mother's bodyguard up and down. "You watch him." She turned back around, closing her eyes once more, trying to keep the rage at bay. The warrior behind her took a step closer. "That's an order," she commanded softly, never opening her eyes. He stopped in his tracks, cursing under his breath. She sighed with relief as he blasted off, none too happy to be watching over a little child. She slit her eyes open, keeping them on the horizon that seemed so far off. Watching as the midnight blue of the sky broke, giving way for light to encompass the land, she knew she would never go over that horizon, never see dawn break anywhere else. She closed her eyes once more, imprinting that image into her memory, before turning away and facing reality._

_*flash*_

"_You deliberately disobeyed me! And what's worse! You put the prince in danger! You will stop this nonsense at once, gallivanting around and making everyone else do your job for you!" her mother stalked up to her, coming nose to nose with her. "Well, no more! You will obey me in this or suffer the consequences," she demanded, her voice deadly. Glaring into her mother's eyes, she tried to keep the rage from boiling over. Taking a deep breath, she slowly let it out through clenched teeth. "You will not tell me what to do anymore. You cannot and will not make demands on me that you know I will not do," she stated, her voice trembling with anger. Her mother bared her teeth. "I have put up with as much as I'm going to take!" her mother seethed, "you know the penalties for disobeying." At her mothers' words, her face turned to granite. "Disobeying," she said softly. "I'm not one of your soldiers, I'm your DAUGHTER," she screamed, the pent up rage finally beginning to boil over. Her eyes began to blacken around the edges, her body tensing with a pent up desire to hit. Anything! She kept her arms clenched at her sides, silently wishing that her mother would shut up, fearing that she wouldn't be able to control her actions for long. Her mother took a step back, crossing her arms. "You will obey me in this daughter! You will stop this insolent act and start acting like a member of the royal family. I will not..."_

"_shut up" _

"_...have you embarrassing me anymore than you already have. Making one of my elite guards watch over your cousin, when YOU were elected that job. You will stop being a little brat..."_

"_Shut Up"_

"_...and start behaving like a princess. If you can't show a little respect to your elders, also your family, and protect the prince like your supposed to than I'm going to have to..."_

"_SHUT UP," she screamed, rage and power blinding her as she succumbed to everything boiling inside her. She screamed in rage and pain as energy ravaged her body, awareness breaking through for a moment, enough to see her own mothers' look of horror, before everything went black._

_*flash*_

_The roar of the crowd was deafening, the smell of sweat and blood almost taking her breath away. Her boot sank in a puddle of dark red substance, covering her foot and soaking the tip of her tail. She grimaced. "Men are always messy," she thought, stepping around a brown blob that appeared to be a head. Glancing over momentarily, she watched as one of the elite warriors from her uncles' personal guards powered up, energy encompassing him as he clenched his fists, hunkering down and sliding his feet shoulder width apart. He faced off with a warrior from the surrounding planets. A big, hulking thing with muscles as big as boulders, pot marks covering his body, his skin almost a sickly green. He gave a maniacal laugh as he flung his arms out, six-inch razor sharp horns descending from his wrists. Smaller ones ran down his back, stopping at his tailbone. A tail slithered behind him, kicking up dust as he licked his purple lips. She shuddered, turning away as the saiyan warrior screamed a moment later, a cracking sound echoing in her ears. She clenched her jaw. She stopped, scanning the vast crowd before settling on the couple high in the stands. The King and Queen. Her mother sat behind them, apparently none too happy as disapproval marred her face. She quickly glanced over the guards, giving a sigh of relief when she spied her mentor among them, thankful he wasn't participating in this farce. She slowly climbed the steps, listening as the crowd started going wild. She turned halfway up. Momentarily taken aback by everyone staring at her, she quickly jogged the rest of the way up. Listening as the crowd settled down again, she met the eyes of her mentor, Bardock. His eyes twinkled, his face showing amusement, a moment later a grin spread across his face as she glared at him. Lifting her chin, she smirked, before turning her head and meeting the condescending eyes of her mother. She settled herself beside the woman, noticing that her mothers' hands were clenched in her gown. Her mother leaned over. "You were supposed to be here an hour ago!" she whispered, seething. Taking momentary pleasure in her mothers' discomfort, she didn't say anything for a moment. "You know I'm not marrying anyone, right? I don't care how many despicable acts you put together! This is a waste of my time, and yours." she stated, gritting her teeth as another life force was snuffed out. Her mother bared her teeth. "Show some respect!" the woman snapped. She glanced over, looking her mother square in the eye. "I am showing the respect I have for this," she stated, waving her hand toward the arena. "And killing our soldiers just so you can try to best me, or how did you put it? "Control" me, is childish, and a waste of our resources and men!" she finished loudly. The King, her uncle, turned around. "Child, you need to focus on finding a mate, not worrying about the state of this kingdom. That's what I'm here for," he said, flashing a grin before frowning again. "You might be a soldier...for now," his gaze slid towards Bardock, then back to her. "but you will do what's best for our race, and that is to make sure I get me some good, strong grandsons!" he bellowed, reminding her that he had claimed her as a daughter when her own father died, years ago. _

"_No granddaughters?" she asked, just to be controversial. _

_The King slapped his knee, barking out a laugh. "My, one of these lucky men are going to have their hands full with you! You got your share of spunk girl!" He grinned again before settling a serious expression on his face. "But you need to stop fighting us on this," he said, his voice lowering an octave. "Because if you don't, your going to regret it girl. We'll be forced to send you away again, and I highly doubt you want that to happen."His wife turned around. "Please," she pleaded gently, "listen to your mother, and at least give these young men a chance." Smiling slightly, she turned back around, The King gazing at her a moment longer before doing the same. She could feel a muscle in her jaw jumping, biting her tongue before she lashed out at those she loved. She heard a cough beside her, and turned to see her mother gazing at her, a small smile on her lips. She faced forward again, a sense of impending doom settling like a weight in her chest. She crossed her arms, reprimanded. A moment later, a heavy hand settled on her shoulder, and she looked up. Bardock gazed down at her, a small smile playing on his lips. She ducked her head, feeling chastised even more so with him than with her relatives. She glanced up again, expecting to see disapproval in his eyes. He winked, patting her shoulder once more before removing his hand and taking his place back up amongst the guards. She gazed back out onto the arena, feeling a little lighter than she had all morning. _

Marie slowly opened her eyes as light began to pour into her bedroom, the sun not yet ascending fully into the sky. The dredges of sleep still clouded her mind as she pushed the hair out of her face, sitting up and rolling her shoulders. She paused, rubbing the back of her neck and yawning as she glanced out the window, the city buildings barely visible in the dawn of morning. She sighed, tiredness still with her for some reason, but not really contemplating it as she let herself fall back onto the pillow. Momentarily closing her eyes, she listened to her own breathing in the still room, relaxing a few more minutes before she actually got up and faced the day. She was just nodding off to sleep when something furry rubbed down her arm. _What the hell!_ She groggily raised her head. Instantly becoming awake a moment later, she shot out of bed, looking down in horror. _Oh, My God!_ She gasped, a little cry escaping her lips as the tail wrapped around her waist. She grasped it, feeling around until it stopped, at the small of her back. She put a hand to her mouth, squelching the scream that tried to erupt from her throat. _What the hell is going on!? _her mind raced_, I didn't have...I'd didn't...I..._she couldn't think. "_This is right," her mind demanded. No! She screeched back. _She reached down and grabbed the tail, a squeal of surprise bursting forth as pain vibrated up her back. _What am I going to do? _She thought hysterically. _Vegeta! He'll know what to do! I hope!_

"Vegeta?" she whispered, her voice trembling. She gulped. "Vegeta?" she said a little louder,her breathing erratic as she raced towards the door and flung it open. "Vegeta!" she screamed, her voice reverberating off the walls.


	10. Another Suitor?

_Another Suitor?_

Bulma looked up just as Krillin and Yamcha landed, their feet crushing the Azaleas her mother planted a few weeks ago. She sighed, stepping down from the reactor she was working on for the gravity room. She had a feeling she wasn't going to get to continue any time soon. Putting down the tester that determined if the machine was running at full power, she slowly got to her feet. Brushing her hands on her pant legs, she walked over to meet them as they made their way across the grounds.

Krillin waved. "Hi Bulma! Man, what was _that_ you were working on?" he asked, glancing behind her. She waved her hand in the air towards the huge pod situated at the far back of the property. "It's something for the gravity room. You both are back early," she said in an attempt to change the subject. "Did you guys have fun?"

"Did we ever!" Yamcha said, his face lighting up as he thought about the full figured ladies and string bikinis. He rubbed his hands together, smiling. "You should have seen some of those girls! Oh Man! I didn't want to leave. I hate that my baseball training starts in the middle of summer!" He momentarily pouted, crossing his arms over his chest.

Krillin's face went red as he rubbed the top of his head. "Yeah," he grumbled, "some of those woman should have been illegal." he said with a chuckle. He cleared his throat. "Hey Bulma, do you have any lunch ready?" He put a hand to his stomach. "I'm starving!"

Yamcha piped up. "Me too! I sure could use something right about now." They both looked at Bulma, beseeching with their eyes. Bulma crossed her arms.

"Uh-Uh. No way! You both are grown men. Feed yourselves!"

Yamcha laid a hand on her shoulder. "Ah, come on. You know your way around the kitchen better than us. Please!" Bulma brushed his hand away. Lifting her chin in the air, she said, "No I'm not a maid."

"If it was Vegeta, you would," Krillin mumbled, crossing his arms.

"What did you say Krillin!" Bulma screeched, balling her hands into fists at her sides. She turned to Yamcha. "What did he say!"

But Yamcha wasn't paying any attention. Instead, his gaze was riveted over her shoulder, a look of pure rapture on his face. His jaw hung open, his eyes widened.

"Who is that?" he breathed, seeming almost incapable of words.

Bulma looked behind her. Vegeta and Marie were walking across the lawn, heading towards the back of the estate to the gravity room. Marie had her gaze down, talking in low tones, gesturing now and then with her hands. She was wearing a training uniform, one loaned to her from Vegeta. The blue spandex that stretched from head to toe, along with the shoulder pads, looked very different on her than Vegeta. Bulma silently thanked her for having her tail hidden. _Man! What a surprise that was! Vegeta was positively green with envy! _She watched as Marie pointed to something just out of sight, the muscles in her arms and legs clearly visible beneath the uniform, developed from weeks of training. Bulma's mouth quirked. Vegeta had been reluctant at first to train her, but she'd been adamant, showing him what she had learned on her own. Frustrated from her show of strength, and lack of skill, he finally agreed, making her promise not to use her tail against him, until _he_ decided she was ready. Bulma watched as they walked around the house, out of sight, Vegeta looking straight ahead even though, from the look on his face, Bulma could tell he was listening intently to whatever Marie was saying. With a grunt, she turned back to Yamcha and Krillin.

"Oh, for goodness sake!" she snapped, sending Yamcha a look of disgust as he had to physically wipe the drool from his mouth. Krillin just stared.

"Whoa! Who _was_ that Bulma? Is she staying here?" Yamcha started walking towards where the two saiyans disappeared. Krillin scratched the top of his head. "Isn't that the woman we found at Kami's Place?" he said, mostly to himself. Bulma grabbed Yamcha's arm, yanking him back. "Yamcha! No! You are not chasing after my house guests! I don't want you bothering her, so just leave it alone." She let her hand fall away. "Besides, she's spoken for." she said, crossing her arms. Yamcha and Krillin both started.

"Don't tell me..." Yamcha eyes widened even further, "Vegeta is claiming her!? Oh, Man! Bulma, is he asking for a death wish from you or what!" Bulma's mouth fell open for a moment before she slammed it shut.

"NO you idiot!" she exclaimed, smacking him on the head. "Goku!"

"GOKU!" They both shouted, looking at her in disbelief.

* * *

Bulma looked up as the door to her lab opened. Groaning, she climbed off the ladder where she was working on the latest core stimulate, one that will automatically adjust to a person's fighting status the moment they stepped into the gravity room. She mentally prepared herself for Yamcha's onslaught as he hooked his hands through his belt loops, swaggering over, his mouth pursed into a pout. She resisted the impulse to roll her eyes.

"Okay! Out with it Bulma! I've been here a week and Goku hasn't shown up to see Marie once. I thought you said he was seeing her? What's the deal!?" Yamcha said, crossing his arms over his chest. He sent Bulma a disgruntled look. She sighed, fed up with Yamcha's apparent infatuation with the woman. She threw her tools down, watching as a wrench bounced off the top of the toolbox, sliding across the floor before resting underneath the desk in the corner. She glared at Yamcha.

"I don't know Yamcha, sheesh! Why don't you leave the poor woman alone. She's been going through enough as it is, without you drooling after her." Bulma walked over to the desk, bending down to see that the wrench had slid all the way to the back. She gave an exasperated sigh, then shoved her arm underneath it, reaching with her fingertips, inching the handle closer before finally grasping it and sliding her arm out, wiping the dust from her shirt sleeve. Coughing, she looked back over at Yamcha. He was staring at her ass!

"Yamcha! Stop that!" She snapped, glaring at him. "Ah, come on Bulma, I'm only human!" he said, sending her a puppy-dog look. _God! What did I ever see in him. He's a jerk!_ She shoved the wrench into the drawer, the clang of metal echoing through the lab. She turned around, and crossing her arms, leaned back against the piece of furniture.

"Yamcha," she stated, "there's plenty of women in the city. Why are you so hung up on this one?"

He shrugged, walking over and leaning beside her. "I don't know. There's just something about her. I really can't explain it. Besides!" he said, glancing over at her, "she's a fighter! A true fighter! That's awesome! I've never met one like her before."

"That's an understatement," she muttered. Bulma narrowed her eyes and studied him for a moment.

"Can I tell you something?" she began.

"Sure. You can tell me anything Bulma. We're friends right?"

"Right." she grumbled. She took a deep breath. _Here goes nothing. _"You know Marie's been training with Vegeta right?"

"Yeah. And man! Is she crazy or what. I mean, she's hot and everything, but you have to be nuts to train with that guy!"

Bulma ignored the barb. "Well, she's a Saiyan too." She felt rather than saw Yamcha jerk.

"A Saiyan! Are you frigging kidding me! I thought there weren't any more." he exclaimed, his eyes widening.

"Everyone thought that. Even Vegeta! But she showed up, though from where, we're still trying to find out. She's gone through a lot. And she doesn't need you hounding her like a dog. So would you let it go for now?" Yamcha frowned, rubbing his chin before pushing a hand through his hair.

"Well," he started, "since Goku's nowhere around, I'm going to ask her out. But I will wait a few days. From what you've said, it seems like she needs a little time to settle down. So I'll wait, and if he doesn't show, I'm going to ask her out, since it looks like she's available at the moment," he smirked.

"How do you know she'll even want anything to do with you? She'll most likely say no Yamcha."

He grinned at her. "Hey, I know how to woo a lady. I won you over didn't I!" he laughed.

"You didn't keep me for long," she stated.

"...and besides," he continued, ignoring her comment. "I'm going to pursue her. If Goku doesn't like it, he can let me know." he finished over his shoulder, walking out the door.

"Oh, he will," Bulma said softly, watching Yamcha's retreating back as he made his way towards the gravity room. She grinned. "He definitely will."


	11. Denial

_Denial_

Marie glanced up, laying the book on her lap as someone stopped in front of her bedroom door. _Great! Now what!_ She knew it wasn't any of the males she was familiar with. She learned real quick how to sense their particular energy force, and she didn't recognize this one. _I bet it's that damn guy, Yamcha, again. _She let out a weary sigh. She'd been trying to avoid him, it seemed, all week. Every time she turned a corner, there he was, grinning like an idiot. "_I'm surprised he even bothers now!" _she thought, remembering a couple days ago when she, yet again, ran into him coming out of the kitchen, getting ready for her daily training session with Vegeta. She had glanced briefly at him before trying to go around him. The damn idiot had grabbed her arm, and acting on instinct, she had yanked him over her head, sending him flying before crashing into the wall. Bulma had stepped into the room at that precise moment, and expecting her to yell, had instead stared at her, speechless, when Bulma threw back her head and let out a peel of laughter. "I told you Yamcha!" she managed to gasp out between fits of giggles. He just moaned, staggering to stand up, leaning heavily against the wall. Bulma had crossed the room, patting Marie's shoulder before entering the kitchen, not saying another word. She had watched Bulma's retreating back before turning back to the man shaking his head, pieces of plaster falling onto the floor. "Are you ready yet!? I don't have all day!" she heard Vegeta moments before she saw him, appearing at the doorway leading up to the second floor. He paused momentarily, seemingly taken aback at the sight of Yamcha covered in white dust before barking with laughter. "I see you've met my cousin," he chuckled, a grin spreading across his face. Yamcha's face had turned red with embarrassment, before what Vegeta said sank in. His eyes widened.

"You..." he said softly, pointing at Marie. "You're _RELATED_ to Vegeta!" he screeched, inching away from her until he reached the sliding glass doors, darting out and running like hell, not looking back before disappearing around the corner. A bark of laughter made her rip her head back around.

"Well," Vegeta said, clearly pleased, "that takes care of him. Idiot!"

Marie blinked, dispelling the memory as the person knocked on her door again. A pause. "Marie," Yamcha said. She could hear the slight tremble in his voice. _Great! A wimp wants to date me!_ "What!" she barked, not moving from her spot on the bed. Putting down the book she'd been trying to read, she glared at the door. He paused, as if sensing her disapproval. "I, um..." he began, clearing his throat. "I, ah, was wandering if I could talk to you for a moment?" he asked, his voice small. Her tail flicked in agitation, wrapped tightly around her waist, hidden underneath her clothes, feeling like it wanted to lash out and grab this idiot by the throat. She resisted the urge, her nails biting into her palms as she clenched her fists. Rolling her eyes, she jumped off the bed in one fluid movement, taking three steps and yanking the door open. Yamcha backed up a step as she narrowed her eyes at him. _God! What a wimp!_ She kept her hand on the door knob, resting her shoulder against the frame.

"What!" she demanded. "You're cutting into my reading time. What do you want?"

"Well, uh..." his eyes glanced anywhere but her face. He fidgeted for a moment before straightening up and looking somewhat in the vicinity of where she stood. "What are you reading?" he asked in a shaky voice. She sighed and, rolling her eyes again, crossed her arms before frowning at him. A few beats of silence rendered the air. She made a sound of disgust in the back of her throat, and stepping back, went to shut the door. Before it could close all the way, a foot appeared, stopping it from slamming shut.

"Move...your...foot." she said slowly, her voice deadly soft. "I'm sorry! I, uh..." she saw him swallow, yanking the collar of his shirt before seeming to gather what little bit of courage he had. "Doyouwannagooutsometime!?" he said in a rush. She stared at him.

"Are you mentally challenged, or just plain stupid?" she asked, shaking her head. Heat crawled up Yamcha's neck before settling in his cheeks. "Hey!" he exclaimed, his pride obviously pricked. "I just," he began. "I was just surprised, that's all." He gave a slight chuckle. " I didn't know you were related to Vegeta. It took me a little while for it to process."

Marie quirked an eyebrow. "It took three days for your brain to process the information?" she snorted. _Bulma sure knows how to pick 'em! Vegeta is okay, just a little too serious. And this guy! Man! Does he have marshmallow for brains or what!?_

She waved a hand towards the door. "Would you just get out of here already? I'm trying to rest. And I'm not available right now anyway. I don't intend on seeing anyone."

_Oh Man! She even sounds like Vegeta! _A little smirk appeared on his face. "Oh yes. You're _not available_!" he said, making quotation marks in the air. "That's not the way I hear it between you and Goku."

"That's none of your business." she stated, crossing her arms. She could feel her tail jerk, her agitation apparent.

"If he was really interested in you, why isn't he here? Why haven't I seen him?" Yamcha asked, clearly pleased with himself. Silence enveloped the room.

"How does that pertain to you?" Yamcha jumped, swinging towards the door. Marie was already gazing across the room, frowning.

Goku stood in the doorway. Leaning up against the door frame, arms crossed, one foot over the other, he glared at the other warrior. Yamcha took a step back, not real sure what the Saiyan was going to do. _Man! I've never seen Goku like this! _He glanced at Marie. _Especially over a woman. Maybe he is serious about her!_ He held up his hands.

"Hey! I was just making small talk, you know?" he let out a short laugh, still uneasy. He started inching towards the door as Goku straightened, stepping into the room. They kept their gazes locked. A moment passed before Yamcha's slid away, briefly glancing at the floor, before rubbing the back of his head.

"I'll just be going now." He backed up towards the doorway. Goku grunted. _Man! The way he's acting, you would think she was his wife or something! This is crazy! What the hell's been going on while Krillin and I've been on vacation!?_

He glanced back towards Goku. "What's the deal! You sure are acting strange. Are you planning on marrying her or something?" Goku didn't say anything for a moment, just slowly walked towards the bedroom door. Grasping the wood, he narrowed his gaze on Yamcha.

"Or something," Goku said softly before slamming the door in his face.

* * *

Bulma and Vegeta stopped abruptly at the bottom of the stairs. They watched as Yamcha stomped down the steps, head down, grumbling to himself. They glanced at each other, Vegeta rolling his eyes and Bulma shaking her head. She turned back towards the stairs as Vegeta grunted, disgust clearly on his face, before pivoting on the balls of his feet and walking out the door.

"Hey Yamcha," she began, watching as he quickly glanced up, momentarily surprised.

"What?" he grumbled, stopping at the bottom of the steps, crossing his arms and pouting. She stifled a giggle.

Settling an innocent look on her face, she asked, "Marie said no, didn't she?" He didn't say anything for a moment before shooting a look to the floor above him.

"Goku's up there. He practically forced me out the door." he exaggerated, still in a pout.

A look of surprise passed across Bulma's face. "Goku's here? But I didn't see him come in! He usually..." she paused, frowning. "He usually comes and sees me when he gets here."

Yamcha huffed, shrugging and shuffling his feet. "Well," he said, his tone condescending, "obviously he came to see Marie. Apparently he didn't want to see you." He lashed out, his pride still pricked. Bulma narrowed her eyes at him before shoving him away from her.

"Hey! What was that for?" Yamcha whined, rolling his shoulder's and sending her a hurt look. He stuck his bottom lip out, trying to convey his disappointment.

"You are such a creep Yamcha!" She crossed her arms and glared at him. "You are so dense sometimes, I can't believe you haven't died...again!" He shot her a look of surprise mixed with confusion and hurt. "Why would you say something like that! Man, I swear! You sound more like Vegeta every day!" He turned and headed out the door.

"I take that as a compliment!" Bulma yelled after him, her words moving over him as he walked down the front steps.

"_Oh, Man!"_ he thought, "_I'm living in a cuckoo clock!"_

* * *

Vegeta gritted his teeth as another blast of energy burst forth, heading towards him within seconds. "_What the hell's going on with those two?" _he thought,knocking the energy ball against the wall with a swipe of his arm. _I know Bulma said that they were getting to know each other real well, but it's still kind of weird. _He clenched his fists. _He's not even her rank! If this was Planet Vegeta, she would never have noticed him. And besides, she's my cousin! _He furrowed his brows, throwing his hand up, easily blocking the robotic arm slicing down towards his head. _And how the HELL did she grow her tail back!? That's just nuts! _Vegeta's teeth ground together. He shot up into the air, the training droid following close behind. It grabbed his ankle, jerking him down momentarily before shooting a yellow ball of energy inches from his face. He flipped, kicking T.D., as it was dubbed by Bulma, under the chin. It flew through the air, a sonic boom echoing off the walls as it exploded, bits and pieces falling onto the floor below, it's "voice" whirring before finally silencing, its useless carcass of metal and wire in-bedded into the gravity rooms wall. Red lights flashed inside the dome before the electronic voice of a woman burst from the speakers. _"Training session commenced. Gravity returning to normal."_ The pods only door cracked open, a whoosh of air escaping before lowering down, the groaning of machine clogs sounding before it finally stopped, letting the light of mid day pour into the room. A shadow stretched across the floor. Bulma appeared moments later, arms folded, a little smile appearing on her face. Vegeta frowned. She waved a remote at him. "This sure comes in handy." she said, before pocketing it and lazily walking into the room.

"What's the matter with you! Why did you stop my training! What if that," he said, gesturing toward where she stuffed the remote, "hadn't worked. You'd be a dead woman right now!" He shook his head.

Bulma pouted, her lower lip sticking out before straightening her shoulder's. Swinging her hair over her shoulder with one hand, she said, "I know what I'm doing Vegeta! You should realize that being married to me."

"God help me," he muttered under his breath, gazing at the ceiling.

He heard her teeth snap shut. He looked back down, meeting blazing blue eyes. She pursed her lips, turned, and headed toward the opening. Vegeta moved, snaking his arm out, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her snug up against him.

"Where do you think your going?" he growled, his other hand reaching into her front pocket for the remote. Bulma shivered as his hot breath fanned the back of her neck. She felt Vegeta's teeth graze the side of her neck and moaned. He splayed his hand across her stomach, kissing her shoulder. He lifted his other arm, pushing a button on the remote, closing the door before crushing it in his hand. He felt Bulma tense.

"Why did you do that Vegeta! I made that in case of emergency!" She twisted in his arms, attempting to shove him away. Vegeta's lips quirked. "This is an emergency." he said in a low voice. Bulma shivered again, and tried to keep her glare in place. He settled his hands on her hips, and before she could blink, she was laying on the floor, Vegeta bending over her. Bulma gulped, feeling little twinges of desire low in her belly. "What.." she began. Swallowing, she started again. "What kind of emergency Vegeta?"

He smirked down at her, running his hand down her leg before reaching the indention of her knee, pulling it up to rest on his hip. He did the same with the other. Bulma's eyes settled at half mast.

He bent down, his breath fanning her lips.

"I need some maintenance done, before I explode." he said with a growl before crushing her lips with his.


	12. Love Hurts

_Love Hurts_

Marie scowled as she flipped through the channels. She sighed a moment later and clicked the T.V off. She crossed her arms and sat back, closing her eyes. Goku hadn't talked to her in a month, not since that little scene with Yamcha. Her mind went back to the last time she saw him. He had followed her to the gravity room, but detoured at the last minute when they passed the kitchen. She kept going, not wanting to miss her session with Vegeta. She learned real fast, and real quick how impatient Vegeta could be. She had been thankful Goku hadn't followed her there. She had yet to tell him she had a tail. She remembers that that training session had been intense, a little more brutal from the previous ones. Wanting to get out of there fast, she had grabbed her towel, not really paying attention to were she was going. She had just been coming out of the training room, and had bumped into a wall of muscle. She looked up and Goku was standing there, watching her. She had murmured something like an apology, but she wasn't sure, and had quickly went around him, into the house. She had taken a shower afterwards, and had come down to eat. Goku had been in the kitchen when she walked through the door. They had just stood there, looking at each other, not saying anything. Then Marie had quickly grabbed a plate of food, and left Goku to his own thoughts. He kept glancing at her throughout the meal, and she had gotten annoyed. She had accidentally snapped her fork in half. She knew it had been childish, but dammit, he was pissing her off. Everyone had stopped talking and was watching her. She had stood up, knocking her chair to the floor. She had stomped out of the house, and had flown off. She heard later that everyone had started yelling at Goku, mostly Bulma. Asking him what he did. He had shouted back that he hadn't done anything to her, hell, he hadn't even talked to her in weeks. Then Vegeta had started yelling at Goku for raising his voice to his wife, and Goku had flown out of there, straight threw the roof. It had taken Bulma and her crew two weeks to fix it. Goku hasn't came around since then. She did feel guilty for that, but Bulma repeatedly assured her that it was their choice who came into their home. Marie had argued that if she hadn't gotten so mad, that none of this would've happened. Bulma had smiled at her and said that she knew how frustrating love could be. She had sent Bulma a look letting her know she thought Bulma was losing her mind. Marie's brows narrowed. She really can't be blamed for Goku's actions, although she knows she's been almost too stubborn, refusing to see or talk to him had resulted in this little rift.

"Whatcha doing?" Gohan crossed the carpet, and threw himself on the couch.

Marie smiled. At least one of them is happy.

"Nothing. Just thinking."

"About what? My dad?"

Marie narrowed her eyes and shook her head. She gave up a while back convincing Gohan that her and his dad were NOT getting together. Not any time soon anyway. She sighed. Can't blame a kid for trying. He must really miss his mother.

"I was just thinking. Nothing important." She sat up. "So, do you want to do something?"

Gohan face brightened.

"Sure. It really is boring around here. Everyone is either in the gravity room training, or they're working on machines and stuff."

Marie told him to wait there and raced upstairs to her room. She quickly rummaged threw her closet, smiling when she found the board game that had been tucked behind some old Capsule Corp. uniforms. She made her way downstairs and sat it on the coffee table. Gohan looked at the game, then at her, confused.

"What is this?"

Marie opened the box and took out the board, the cards, and the dice. She glanced at Gohan and smiled.

"I'm not real sure. Found it in the closet behind some old junk. Monopoly," she grunted, "sounds fun."

She quickly read through the procedures of how the game is played, both taking turns reading the rules aloud to one another.

"Pick a man," she said, gesturing to the metal characters.

Gohan looked them over and finally chose the dog. Marie grabbed the wheel barrow. She positioned them at the starting block, and rolled the dice.

Vegeta quirked an eyebrow when he heard laughter coming from the living room. He glanced through the doorway and saw that it was Goku's brat and Marie playing some sort of game. They were rolling on the floor, laughing. He guessed their laughter was the contagious kind because he felt his own lips twitch. He scowled, and shook his head. He planted a serious expression on his face and walked into the room. Marie and Gohan looked up at him, wiping tears from the corners of their eyes.

"What?" Marie asked, still chuckling.

Vegeta crossed his arms.

"You should be setting an example for the brat, not encouraging him."

Marie quirked an eyebrow at him, then stuck her tongue out. She knew it was childish, but she couldn't resist. He growled in frustration at her lack of maturity, and turned to leave.

"You wanna play!?"

Vegeta didn't turn around. "NO."

Marie shrugged. She knew he was going to say no, but hey, it was worth a shot. She rolled her eyes at his back, and resumed the game. Vegeta quickly glanced back at them. They were playing the game again. He walked down the hall towards the gravity room. He heard them laughing again, and felt his own lips spread into a smile on their own accord. His cheeks burned, and growling, stomped the rest of the way there. He was definitely getting soft!

* * *

Goku landed outside of Capsule Corporation. He dreaded going in there. If he could get his son and leave without seeing anyone, he would be fine. He quickly glanced around, making sure nobody had noticed his presence. _This is ridiculous_, he thought. Goku quickly searched for his sons energy, then made his way towards the living room. He stopped in his tracks when he realized Marie was with him. Maybe he could quickly leave and not have a confrontation. He froze when she looked up, then back down at the game board. She told Gohan that his dad was here, and his son turned around.

"Dad!" Gohan said as he launched himself at Goku.

He grasped Gokus' hand and dragged him towards where they had been playing. He explained to his dad what Monopoly was, and Goku listened, his eyes never leaving Marie's bent head. His eyes narrowed. _She won't even look at me!_ He watched her calmly start putting the game board and cards away. _It's like she doesn't even care that I'm standing here_. He felt his frown deepen. _It's as if I don't even exist_! He shifted his eyes away from her to his son.

Marie listened to Gohan as he explained the rules and the way to play the game Monopoly. Her lips spread into a small smile at his enthusiasm. She didn't look up when she felt Goku's eyes on her. _Stay calm_, she thought. She automatically began putting the game away, thankfully being able to do this without shaking. She knew she looked calm and collected on the outside, but inside she was like a string ready to snap. She silently gave a shuddering breath as he bent down, almost to eye level, as he picked up his son. She turned her face away when she saw him move his head to look at her. She frowned. _I DO NOT want anything to do with him_! She kept repeating that to herself over and over. She saw him out of the corner of her eye when he stood up. Her mouth went dry, feeling his intense gaze settle on her once more. She swallowed.

"What are YOU doing here!?"

All three heads turned towards the doorway. Bulma stood there, hands on hips, feet spread for battle. She glared at Goku. He silently groaned. This is exactly why he didn't want to come. He narrowed his eyes at her and frowned.

"I came to get my son." Goku spoke to her, his voice emotionless.

Bulma hesitated. She could hear the hurt and anger in his voice. _Maybe I was a little hard on him._ Then she glanced at his face. _Well_, she thought, _he doesn't look like he's going to apologize any time soon._She strengthened her resolve.

"Well, hurry up and leave."

Then she glanced at Marie. She had her head bent, not looking at anyone.

"Is he bothering you?"

Marie shook her head.

"Because you know I can get Vegeta in here to take care of it."

There was silence for a moment. Goku didn't glance at her, but he held his breath, waiting for her answer. He sure as hell didn't want to get in a fight right now. He wasn't in the mood.

Marie quickly glanced up, then shifted her eyes.

"No Bulma. He's not bothering me."

Bulma gave a nod of her head. "Good!" Then she glared at Goku. "See that you don't." She spun on her heel, and left the room.

There was a brief silence, then Gohan said goodbye to Marie, hugging her around the waist and promising to be back to play again, then they flew off. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Then her body reacted. She clenched her fists as they started to shake. _No!_ she shouted to herself,_ I won't let it happen_. But she realized it was already too late as she sunk onto the couch, her body shaking from the nearness of the saiyan. She let out a sob and buried her head in her hands. Weeks without seeing him, she realized, had left her aching for the sight of him. She couldn't believe it, she just couldn't believe it! She had fallen in love with that jerk!


	13. The Power of a Saiyan

**A/N: Italics represent thoughts and/or memories!  
**

_The Power of a Saiyan__  
_

Vegeta looked up from his training when he heard the door open. He narrowed his eyes when he saw who walked through the door. _Great! Now what_? He frowned when he got a good look at her face. She looked like she found something out she really didn't want to know! He had felt Kakkarot's energy a while ago, but had decided to leave him alone. He figured he came for his son. He was surprised the saiyan bothered even coming over at all. _Probably to see Marie!_He smirked. Getting a look at her now, he was curious to learn what happened. He shrugged to himself, not really worried about it. He crossed his arms and waited for her to speak. He quickly looked at the gravity monitor to make sure she could take the pull of the gravity. Then he snorted, realizing a second later that she could take more gravity than him, but he wasn't about to say that aloud! Marie was gazing at the ground, but looked up as Vegeta landed. She had a frown on her face, and she looked like she had been crying. Vegeta narrowed his eyes.

"Could I train with you?" Marie asked quietly.

Vegeta nodded, flying upward, still wondering about her stricken look. She didn't bother wiping her eyes. She flew up towards him and stopped a couple of feet away from him. Vegeta readied himself, Marie doing the same. His eyes widened slightly when her face crunched up in anger. She clenched her teeth and flew at him. Vegeta's brow furrowed in thought. Then he mentally shrugged. _At least I can get a good workout out of her._ He smirked as he dodged her punch. _She's getting much better_. Then he changed his assumption as her knee connected with his stomach. The air flew out of him and he gasped. _Okay, She's getting a lot better_! She clenched her fists together and hit him between his shoulder blades. The sound of him hitting the floor bounced off the walls. He rose onto his hands and knees, his teeth clenched. "What the hell is the matter with you!" he yelled. He saw her feet as they touched down in front of him. Her tail whipped out, grasping his wrist, pulling him up until they were face to face. He opened his mouth to say something, but didn't have the chance as her fist connected with his jaw. He flew backwards, then let out a burst of energy, stopping himself. His teeth clenched as he flew at her. She stood there in stony silence, no expression on her face. Then she yelled, powering up, and flew at him. Their fists and legs connected with a bang. Vegeta quickly assumed defence, dodging her kicks and punches. She let out a yell of rage and frustration, slamming her fist into his gut. He gasped and quickly dodged her knee. She advanced on him, forcing him back into the wall. _I can't even get a punch in!_he thought, surprised at how much rage was evident on her face. He brought his own knee up to block hers, and glanced up. Her fist was the last thing he saw before everything went black.

* * *

Vegeta slowly came out of unconsciousness. He opened his eyes, but quickly closed them at the glare of light. He turned his head away and tried again. Soon everything came into focus and he realized he was in the room connected to the lab. Then his face turned beet red as he remembered exactly how he got here. He jerked his head towards a movement. He narrowed his eyes when his gaze rested on Bulma, sitting at the desk beside the bed, sound asleep. She sighed and opened her eyes. She came fully awake when she realized that Vegeta had awakened. She fussed over him, checking for any sign of disorientation or cracked bones. He frowned at her mothering.

"Stop smothering me woman!" Bulma let out a sound of disgust, then left the room.

Vegeta scowled, feeling like an idiot. Granted, she was his wife, but she didn't have to baby him! Secretly, he liked the attention. He gave a frustrated growl and sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He ignored the wave of dizziness as he stood up. He paused, waiting for it to pass, then jerked on his pants. He mumbled angrily to himself, still not believing he got knocked out by a woman! _Of all the obscured_...he growled. He stomped down the hall, and into the kitchen. He glared at his cousin, who was sitting at the table. She noticed his glare and rolled her eyes at him. _Men have such big egos_! She snorted. She polished off her lunch and went to go read, leaving Vegeta to simmer in anger. Bulma sat a plate full of food in front of him, and realizing he was starving, he dove in. Bulma smirked at his appetite, but silently thanked God he was alright. He had her worried for a while. Then she had chided herself, telling herself that of course he'll be alright, after all, it's Vegeta! She remembered how scared she was when they finally pulled him out of the rubble that is now the gravity room. She had figured he blew it up again, but had been very surprised, and momentarily frightened when it turned out to be Marie who had done it. She had quickly jumped up from her desk when she heard the ground shake, then a loud boom. She had ran outside, along with everyone else. Vegeta's cousin had been standing there, not a scratch on her. Her fists had been clenched and she looked like she was about to kill Vegeta. She had such a look of rage and helplessness on her face that Bulma's heart went immediately out to the girl. She then glanced down and realized Vegeta was lying there, a wallop of a bruise forming on his face. She had bent down to check if he in fact was actually still breathing. She glanced from the bruise to Marie's clenched fists, to her face. She realized that Marie was on the verge of exploding, the reason Vegeta was out cold and the gravity room blown up. She didn't yell or complain about it like she usually does to Vegeta, not really knowing what was going through the saiyan's head, and what would set her off. Marie hadn't mentioned it after that, and Bulma took her lead, telling everyone not to even bring the subject up. Especially around the saiyan. She still hadn't explained what happened, and Bulma wasn't about to ask. She glanced again at Vegeta, and shook her head. Same old Vegeta! She smiled at that, then made her way outside, intent on fixing the gravity room as quickly as possible.

Vegeta slowly walked into the living room, settling on the arm of the couch after a moment's hesitation. Marie resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She refocused on her book, trying to get past the last couple of pages. It seemed like she always got interrupted every time she tried to relax. "Uh-mm" _Like now_, she thought, sighing and setting her book on the coffee table. Crossing her arms, she looked at Vegeta, and waited.

He frowned. "What's wrong with you!?" he demanded, sitting back and hiking his foot across his leg. She narrowed her eyes at him. "You tell me!" she shot back, tilting her head to the side a little. She studied him.

"What!" he growled, glaring at her and flattening his lips.

"You're embarrassed! Oh for goodness sake! You have _got_ to be kidding me!" Marie shook her head, getting up and walking towards the window, glancing out, letting her tail wrap around her waist before turning back towards Vegeta. "Don't tell me no one has ever beaten you? _That_ I won't believe."

He was silent for a moment before meeting her eyes. "Not a woman," he growled. She smirked, shaking her hair out of her eyes before she spoke again. "Well, apparently I'm no ordinary woman!" A muscle appeared as he clenched his jaw. "I know that," he smirked a little, "You're related to me."

"Correction," Marie stated, "_You're _related to _me_." She said, pointing a finger at her chest. Vegeta shot her a surprised look, then glanced at the floor for a moment before looking back up at her. "Your right," he said softly. He glanced at her tail, an indescribable look passing over his face before he masked his features. "Are you having any problems," he asked, motioning to her tail. It unravelled, the tip briefly touching the floor before swishing back and forth like a cats. "No," she explained, "none whatsoever. Actually, my balance is better than ever, and I feel stronger too." Vegeta nodded. "Good," he said, straightening up and grabbing the remote. "That is the main source of our power," he glanced back over at her. "Did you know?" he asked, studying her as her tail flicked back and forth behind her. Silence fell between them for a few moments.

"I did," she said softly, her brows narrowing in thought. Vegeta lifted an eyebrow, shooting her a look of surprise. "How?" he demanded, pausing in turning the television on. He penetrated her with his gaze.

"I don't know," she whispered, her eyes rounding.

_She grinned as the tower fell, inches from where she stood. People rushed past her, their faces frozen in fear as they tried to avoid the ball of energy she clasped in her hand. She ignored them, walking slowly through one of the buildings, the whole back wall bursting as a beam of light penetrated through the cracks. She lowered her arm, smoke billowing from her hand as she tracked the power level of the alien she was searching for. Her tail twitched in anticipation, lovingly wrapping itself around her waist as she stepped through the rubble. Her senses zeroed in on the jolt of dark energy racing away from her a few blocks away. She narrowed her eyes, and grinned. She shot up into the air, clenching her fists at her sides._

"Marie!"

_Her gaze strayed to the moon, far up in the sky, its white beams of light seeming to caress her body as she momentarily closed her eyes. A surge of power ran through her, making her sigh in pleasure. Her hair lifted, streaks of gold pulsing down the mane of brown, stopping at the tips before crackling with energy. Her tail pulsed, changing from dark brown to gold in seconds. She opened her eyes, breathing in the familiar smell of earth and power. She riveted her gaze on the streak of green heading for the main keep, it's white armour shining like a beacon in the moonlight._

"Can you hear me? Marie!"

_She felt a thrill go through her, a smirk settling on her face before she disappeared. A streak of gold shone across the sky. She landed, moments later, in front of the green alien. A Curilion, she thought, should have known. "Where do you think you're going?" she asked, her voice low. The warrior yelled in terror, spinning around and racing across the grounds. She sighed, shaking her head. She appeared again, inches from his face. Her tail shot out, grabbing him around his throat. He wheezed, yanking at her tail, trying to extract himself from its grip. She gazed at him in amusement, watching him struggle for a moment before stretching her arm out, palm up. "Please!" he gasped, "we surrender! We won't try to hurt the prince again! I swear!" She grunted, tightening her grip on his neck. He struggled wildly, shaking his head. "Now why don't I believe you?" she asked softly, peering up at him with narrowed eyes. "Nobody messes with my family!" she growled, her teeth flashing white in the darkness. A small beam of light appeared at her palm, slowly growing and encompassing the Curilion warrior, his screams echoing around her. She chuckled as he disintegrated, flicking her tail to remove the excess dust. She wrapped it around her waist, gazing up at the moon._

_Snap! Snap! Snap!_ Marie jerked back, the back of her head hitting the glass before she straightened up. Vegeta stared at her, his hand held up near her face.

"What's the matter with you!?" he demanded, slowly lowering his arm. She rubbed her forehead, her teeth clenching momentarily before she glanced up at him.

"I think I was remembering something," she said softly, her brows furrowed. Marie frowned, trying to recall everything she saw, but only bits and pieces flashed through her mind, feelings of protectiveness washing over her as she gazed back up at Vegeta.

"I think..." she started, taking a breath as her mind slowly cleared. She looked Vegeta in the eye. "I believe I was your personal bodyguard. Your protector."

* * *

**A/N: I hope you all have enjoyed the story so far! I'll be working on the next chapter soon, so I hope this satisfies for now. And as always, Please Review!**


	14. A Good Day in Hell

_A Good Day in Hell_

"Dad, are you alright?" Gohan asked as he watched his dad stare blankly at the television. Goku glanced at his son, blinked, then took a shuddering breath.

"Yes Son. I'm fine." His mouth spread into a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

Gohan watched his father for a moment longer. Then he shook his head. He had no idea what was going on, but his dad has been acting strange for the past few months. Especially when Marie came up! Then his eyebrows shot up. _Could it be that my dad likes her!?_He felt a grin spread across his face, imagining him, Marie, and his dad going on picnics and having real home-cooked meals again. His mouth watered. He hadn't had a home-cooked meal since his mother died! Maybe he could ask her to come over one day and cook! His eyes lit up at the thought. He quickly came out of his daydreaming when he heard a knock on the door. He spared a glance at his dad. Goku just sat there, deep in thought. He sighed, then went to open the door.

"Hey Vegeta! What are you doing here?" Gohan looked at Vegeta, confused. Vegeta never came over on his own violation.

"Did you come to see my dad?" When he saw Vegeta's nod, he added in a whisper, "my dad has been acting weird! Do you have any idea why?" Vegeta nodded again. Gohan's face brightened. "Could you tell me? He really has me worried!" Gohan's face fell a moment later when Vegeta shook his head. "I have to talk to Kakkarott." Vegeta glanced down at him, grim faced. "Are you going to let me in?" Gohan nodded and moved away from the door.

Vegeta quickly closed the door and surveyed the room, noticing the dirty dishes in the sink and the layer of dust around the house. His brow furrowed. _That had always been Chi-Chi's job. Looks like Kakkarot can't take care of himself! _Vegeta smirked. Then he spotted Goku on the couch, gazing at the TV. Vegeta's eyes slid towards the television, one eyebrow shooting up when he noticed it was cut off. He quickly glanced at Goku again, then down at his son. Gohan sent him a look that said, _Told_ _you!_Vegeta folded his arms and slowly walked around the couch. When Goku didn't respond, he waved a hand in front of his face. Goku looked up with a start, looking as if he had just come out of a dream. Vegeta didn't say anything, just quirked an eyebrow at him. Goku scowled, then sighed, running a hand over his face, then combed his hair back. Vegeta looked at him in disgust, his eyes taking in the tousled hair and wrinkled clothes.

"Have you even taken a bath?" Vegeta asked, taking a step back.

Goku narrowed his eyes at him. "Of course!"

Vegeta humphed and quickly changed his mind, deciding he wasn't going to tell the saiyan what he had intended. _THAT_can wait for later. Kakkarot had other problems to worry about, such as taking care of himself and his son. Vegeta's lips quirked as another thought occurred to him. Goku also has to put up with his wife this evening. Before he had even set foot off of Capsule Corporations, Bulma had made him promise to invite Goku and Gohan over for supper, even if it meant kicking and screaming. Vegeta smirked at that. He knew one way that would get the idiot kicking and screaming. Vegeta chuckled to himself, remembering when Chi-Chi had tried to give Kakkarot a shot. The man hated needles! He became serious a moment later, watching as the saiyan went up the stairs to his bedroom. Vegeta glanced at the couch, and, wrinkling his nose, sat in the chair farthest from it. He looked up an hour later when Kakkarot came down. Thankful that he had changed and bathed, Vegeta gave a nod of his head and stood up. Goku narrowed his eyes at him.

"Why did you come Vegeta?" Vegeta's forehead creased, his lips compressed into a thin line.

"Bulma wants you and Gohan to come over for dinner. She was also wondering if you could spend the night, seeing as how she hasn't seen you in awhile."

Goku sighed, then stretched his arms above his head as he thought it over. He glanced down when he felt Gohan tugging at his shirt.

"Could we dad!? Please!" Gohan looked hopefully up at him. Goku's lips twitched and he nodded.

"Yeah!" Gohan beamed at his dad, then at Vegeta.

Vegeta crossed his arms and stated that they'd better get a move on, because he didn't want to catch an earful from his wife. Goku chuckled, realizing it's been awhile since he even cracked a smile. Vegeta gave him a dirty look and told him to shut up, then they flew towards Capsule Corporation.

* * *

"Goku! Oh man, it's great to see you!" Bulma cried as she hugged him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He grinned and hugged her back.

"Yeah well. It wasn't my choice to stay away," he stated quietly. Bulma felt her cheeks redden.

"Well! Let's put all that behind us and make up for lost time!" Bulma grasped his hand and pulled him towards the kitchen. She glanced back, grinning. "I know you're just dying for some home-cooking!" Goku smiled in response, Gohan following eagerly behind.

Vegeta watched Bulma pull Goku towards his favorite place; the kitchen, and Gohan following close behind. He snorted. _They're never going to change!_He thought. Then he spotted Marie a few yards away, strolling across the grounds, heading towards him. He quickly intercepted her path. She frowned at him, not in the least pleased. She felt her lips thin and she glared at Vegeta.

"Get out of my way," she stated loudly, making a move to go around him. He studied her, surprised for a second when he realized she didn't know Kakkarott was there.

He grabbed her arm, ignoring her protest. "Kakkarott and his son are here." He watched for her reaction.

Her face remained impassive as she jerked her arm free and again went to step around him. Her eyes narrowed when he sidestepped, blocking her again. "Move," she growled, clenching her fist, yellow energy bursting forth.

"What's going on Vegeta? I thought I heard you talking to someone!" Bulma stood in the doorway, arms folded. She scowled a moment later when she saw what was going on. She frowned and stepped out of the doorway.

"Marie! What do you think you're doing?"

She glanced at Bulma, then back at Vegeta, and slowly let the energy dissipate. She sent the saiyan prince a glare, then turned to Bulma.

"Your husband is acting like a child." Marie muttered, then glared at Vegeta. His lips twisted.

"That's probably because Kakkarot's in there and I was only giving you fair warning! Seeing as how you can't stand to be in the same room as him" He growled, then stepped aside, sweeping his arm out. "But be my guest. Go ahead," sarcasm laced his voice. "I'm not stopping you."

Marie sent him another glare and stepped around him, but stopped short. Her head jerked up as Goku filled the doorway. A feeling of déjà vù swept over her and a flash of memory came back to her. When she was just coming out of the training room and had bumped into the same wall. Then she had acted foolishly, mumbling something and stepping around him. _Well!_ She thought,_ not today!_ She glared at him, waiting for him to move. He narrowed his eyes at her, gazing down at her face. Everyone tensed as they watched the two fighters. Bulma sneaked a glance at Vegeta, and realized that he was watching with acute interest and readiness. _Probably ready to step in if they start fighting,_ she mused._ Really_, she thought, _he could be so sweet!_She smiled to herself, then turned back to the two in the doorway. She watched the display of emotions race across Goku's face, then his face hardened. He took a step back, letting her through. Marie's jaw clenched as she walked away from him, her eyes hard, not looking back. Bulma quietly sighed in relief, her gaze going to Vegeta, noticing that he had relaxed as well. There was a brief pause of uncomfortable silence before Bulma cleared her throat, not liking the tension that crackled through the air. She quietly announced that dinner was almost ready, and asked if Goku would help her in the kitchen. He nodded, not looking at her. She studied him, noticing that his mind was miles away. She grabbed his arm and headed for the sanctuary of the kitchen.

* * *

Goku couldn't believe the way Marie had acted! She had looked at him as if he was the scum of the earth, and she was too good to walk on it. He grimaced, also having noticed the way Vegeta and Bulma had studied them, as if they were about to break up a fight. _Well_, he sighed, _she sure as hell looked like it!_ He had resisted the impulse to grab her and kiss her senseless the moment he had seen her. But he had held back, knowing that that wouldn't have been a good idea. And he was right. She had looked at him as if he were nothing!_ She had practically looked right through me!_ He gave a sound of disgust and Bulma jerked her head up to look at him. _I wonder what's going through that mind of his_! She thought, clearly seeing that something was bothering him. And that _something_ was upstairs with Gohan, careless to anything going on down here! She scowled at the container of milk she had brought out to make a cake. She quickly whipped the batter, all the while doing the same to her thoughts. She glanced at Goku again from the corner of her eye. _He was clearly not pleased at the way Marie had acted towards him_, she thought, sarcastically. And she_ had _acted irresponsibly, sneering and glaring at him the way she did. Bulma shrugged, at least they hadn't started yelling and fighting like usual. Her lips quirked at that. Hell, if she was anyone to judge, the way Marie had acted a minute ago was far worse. It looks as if she's giving him the silent treatment. Her eyes narrowed. _I think that the fighting and yelling was better than this. At least we had something to break up! Now we have no idea who is going to explode first, Marie or Goku!_She glanced at her friend again. He was studying the grease stains on the wall in front of him, the ones that Bulma had made when she had cooked chicken the night before. He looked like he was going to blast it. Bulma gulped, hoping Vegeta would come in here soon.

Goku noticed that Bulma kept sneaking glances at him, and he sent her a reassuring smile, which didn't seem to reassure her at all because her eyes narrowed. His smile disappeared, and replaced with a frown. He gave a sound of disgust and quickly left the kitchen. _Why the hell is Marie acting so negatively towards me? I hadn't done a damn thing to her! Well_, he thought, _there was that one time that we had that argument, but that was months ago! Was that what this was all about?_ His mouth thinned into a straight line, and he crossed his arms. _She couldn't have feelings for me, could she?_ _"NO,"_ his mind answered, _"of course not! Not with the way she acted towards you a few minutes ago!"_ Goku sighed, clearly not liking where this was headed. He thought for a moment. _Well_, he sighed, _the only way I'm going to know is to confront her about it_. He groaned. He flopped onto the couch, thinking he would never understand women!

* * *

"Marie, do you hate my dad?" Gohan glanced at her from his perch on the balcony. They had decided to take it easy, and now he was walking across the railing, waiting for dinner. Marie's head came up from the book she was reading.

She hesitated a moment before answering, turning her gaze back to the pages. "It all depends on what you mean by hate." Gohan glanced at her face, but she kept her gaze on her book.

Gohan frowned at Marie's bent head, thinking of how to ask his next question. Marie started talking before he could put it into words.

"Because you know that Goku has been most unreasonable to me! And besides, I don't even think that your dad likes me." Her eyes briefly met his and skidded away. Gohan's eyebrows furrowed.

"But how could he not like you? I like you!"

Marie sent him a small smile, closing her book, standing up and walking to the balcony railing. "I know Gohan. I like you too." Then her eyes shifted, staring out over the city, her eyes narrowing briefly before looking back at Goku's son. She hesitated a moment.

"Can I tell you something Gohan?" she asked, turning and settling her back against the railing. Gohan nodded, watching her with wide eyes.

Marie let out a breath. "Well," she began, leaning over to whisper in his ear. "I think I'm in love with your father."

Gohan's eyes widened, his mouth hanging open before snapping it back shut.

"But..." he paused, confused, "but why do you stay away? Is it because you and my dad always butt heads whenever you're around each other!?" Marie briefly nodded her head, crossing her arms and chewing on her lower lip.

"It's a lot more complicated than you think, Gohan. There are remaining factors that have to be dealt with between me and your father." She stated, clearly not wanting to discuss the matter further.

She sighed, motioning to the doorway, feeling despair for a moment before shaking it off. "Lets go see if there's anything good on television, hey kiddo!"

"Time to eat!" Gohan said, sniffing the air.

Marie chuckled, ruffling his hair. The laughter immediately died on her lips when she soon realized that they were to dine with her, or rather, her, Bulma, and Vegeta. She gave a disgusted sound in the back of her throat, then immediately felt guilty. She looked down at Gohan. She liked his company. Then she frowned, remembering one male that didn't like the fact that she had refused to go out with him. She scowled. Yamcha was persistent, she would give him that. She had sighed with relief when he had finally left. Bulma had tried to tell him! She had tried to tell him! But he had finally got the message when she had literally knocked the sense into him! Marie inwardly grimaced. _God! He was a pain in the ass._ She hadn't wanted to hurt him, but he had left her no choice. Enough was enough! She had finally challenged him, making him realize pursuing her was useless, again! He had left the day after, saying that he was going to train with Goku. They hadn't seen him since. _He's probably somewhere sulking_, she thought. She came out of her thoughts with a jolt. Or rather, a very male, very masculine, chest jolt! Why the hell do they kept meeting like this? She immediately went around him. Goku reached for her arm, but she jerked away from him, her eyes hard.

"I need to talk to you." Goku said, his voice low. He turned to Gohan. "Gohan, go get something to eat, I'll be there in a little bit. I need to talk to Marie for a moment."

Marie gazed after Gohan before turning back to Goku. "I have nothing to say to you," she stated, folding her arms.

A muscle twitched in his cheek as he ground his teeth together. He gave a frustrated growl and grasped her wrist. She opened her mouth to yell at him, but he quickly remedied that. Her eyes widened when she felt the pressure of his mouth against hers, then he quickly drew back.

"I'll do it again if you so much as raise your voice!"he growled.

Marie narrowed her eyes and her nostrils flared in outrage. Her eyes shot sparks at him. He ignored it and pulled her into a room, closing and locking it behind them. He finally let go of her wrist, which she immediately began rubbing. Goku's mouth twisted.

"I didn't hurt you." He stated flatly.

Her chin rose a notch. "That's for me to know." She spun around, surveying the room he so rudely dragged her into. She frowned a moment later.

"Why the hell are we in a bathroom?" she snapped, turning towards him.

"It was the closest room." He said sarcastically.

Marie put her hands on her hips, and her frown deepened. "You wanted to talk, so talk!"

Goku's lips thinned. "You stop acting like a brat and I will talk!" He folded his arms, leaning back against the door.

She growled in frustration. She knew, _she knew_ that this was going to be a long night! She leaned up against the counter, and waited.


	15. Turning Point

_Turning Point_

"Can you hear anything?" Bulma asked, her ear pressed to the bathroom door.

Vegeta scowled. "Be quiet woman!"

Bulma smacked him on the head and opened her mouth to argue, but Vegeta put a hand over it.

"Do you want to give us away?" he whispered. Bulma silently shook her head.

They quickly turned their focus back to the occupants of the bathroom. Bulma had seen Goku quickly pull Marie into the bathroom, and had rushed to get Vegeta, hurrying him up in case she missed anything. He told her that she should stay out of their business, but he himself had pressed his ear to the door, straining to hear what was going on. She refocused when she heard raised voices from the other side of the door. Goku was yelling at Marie about something. Bulma tried to press closer to the door, but she was against it as far as she would go. She scowled down at Vegeta. He was taking up the room! She nudged him, gesturing for him to move, but he waved her away, intent on also finding out what was going on in there. She stuck her tongue out at him and rolled her eyes. He quirked an eyebrow at her childish antics. She smiled sweetly at him, right before she knocked him over. _There_, she thought, _now I can hear better_. Vegeta growled at her and she gestured for him to be quiet, then pointed to the door. He quickly got up and pressed his ear to the door again. Bulma's brows furrowed as she tried to grasp what Goku was yelling about. Even though he was loud, these were also thick doors. She caught some words, but not enough to make sense of them. She frowned. What was he talking about? "brat", "bed", and "ass hole?" Then her mouth twitched at the last word. That must be what Marie had called him at one point in time. Then she gasped. Goku was the first one to blow up, not Marie, as she had expected! Goku has always been level- headed, so he must be really mad to be going off like he is now! Bulma glanced down at Vegeta, noticing that he had realized that as well. They both shook their head at the same time, and smothered laughter. They were both thinking the same thing. She and Goku should just have sex and get it over with! Bulma rolled her eyes at her husband, because they both knew that that was what all the damn tension was about.

Goku was looking at her as if he really wanted to hurt her, Marie thought, backing up a step. He hadn't even given her any time to say anything! He had blown up, which really surprised her. He hadn't seemed the blow-up type, but looking at him now, she realized she was wrong. He looked like he was about to ring her neck! She gulped, and gripped the counter behind her. She could feel the marble chipping away beneath her clenched fingers. _Sorry Bulma_! She thought, then almost laughed. She was worried about a marble counter, when Goku was standing not two feet away, ready to kill her! She must be losing her mind! Her eyes went to Goku's face again, which was contorted in anger. A muscle ticked in his jaw and his face was red. His muscles had responded to his rage, which were now bulging against his clothing. She glanced at his clenched fists. She doesn't think he was the sort to hit woman, but she had been mistaken before about some things. Her body tensed.

Goku noticed, and paused. For her to even think he would ever hit a woman, let alone her, sent a deep pain straight through his heart. _She doesn't trust me_, he realized. He could feel his anger evaporating, surprised himself that he had gotten so mad. He just had so much bottled up inside! And when he had seen her coming down the hall with his son, he had acted on impulse and now, here they were, practically ready to tear each others' head off. He admits he lost his temper. But damn it! The time away from her and plus her cold shoulder towards him had made him so frustrated! And when she had acted so prissy towards him after he dragged her into this room had been the last straw. He inwardly sighed and ran a hand threw his hair. He met Marie's gaze. She was still tense, watching him. He groaned in frustration and reached for her.

"Come here," he said gruffly, gently grabbing her wrist.

He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. She stayed tense for a moment, then finally relaxed, settling her hand on his forearm. He rubbed his hand up and down her back. She breathed in the scent of him. Very male, very Goku. She completely relaxed in his hold and finally let the tears come. Goku's brow furrowed when he felt her shoulders shake, then she released a sob. He gathered her closer to him and murmured loving words into her ear. He ran his hand through her hair, then rested them on her shoulders. He drew back, tilting her chin up with a gentle touch of his hand. She sniffled. He wiped a tear away from her cheek with his thumb.

"Why are you crying?" he asked softly. She shook her head.

Goku's lips twitched into a tender smile. "You can tell me. If it's about me yelling at you, then I'm sorry...," He trailed off when she started shaking her head.

"It's not about that. I just...,"she stopped and slowly stepped back. She waved her hand. "Just forget it. It's probably just stress."

Goku watched her for a moment longer, then slowly released her. She sighed to herself, already missing his strength, his warmth. Marie quickly turned to the sink and splashed water on her face. Goku handed her a towel, then shoved his hands into his pockets. He didn't know what to say to her. _I love you!_ His mind answered. He scowled to himself. That wasn't going to work. He didn't even know if she had any feelings for him. And he hated to admit it, but he was scared to ask her! Goku's mouth twisted. He doesn't think he's ever been that scared in his life, just to ask a question! How could a single woman bring a man like him to his knees!? He heard his mind answer. _It's called love! Get used to it!_ He ran a hand threw his hair. What was he going to do? He looked up when she said his name. _God, she's beautiful!_ He gazed at her, and it hit him right in the gut, knocking the wind out of him, when he realized just how much he loved her. _I didn't even love Chi-chi this much!_He felt no shame at that statement, because he had realized a long time ago that he loved Chi-chi like a husband should. Like a man should for the woman who bore his children. But it hadn't been this soul shattering! This wonderful! He never felt for Chi-chi the way he feels towards Marie. Not this body craving, this hunger for another person! He felt his insides quiver. He had loved his wife, but it hadn't been nothing like this! He tore his gaze away, mumbling something about them eating dinner. She had stared at him for a few minutes as if he had grown another head, then she nodded. He ran a hand through his hair again, wondering if perhaps Bulma could help him out.

Bulma and Vegeta listened intently for anything through the door. They had heard Goku yelling, then he had just stopped, and there had been silence. Vegeta had mumbled something about Marie killing him, and Bulma smacked him on the head. He yelped, and she smacked him a second time, gesturing that they were going to be caught because of his big mouth! He narrowed his eyes at her and Bulma had quirked an eyebrow, clearly not impressed. They had glared at one another until they heard mumbling again. Vegeta made a move to put his ear to the door again, and Bulma was silently trying to tell him NO! He didn't listen. Bulma backed up and made herself invisible by going around the corner. Just then the door opened, and Vegeta's head went flying backward. He stumbled a few steps before landing on his rear end. He rubbed his bruised forehead. And his butt. He landed on the other side of the door, so they didn't see him. They were talking softly to one another, heading for the kitchen. He suddenly heard giggling coming from a particular corner. He frowned at it, knowing his wife was on the other side.

"Shut up," he said, but without any conviction.

Bulma poked her head around the corner, a grin plastered on her face.

"I told you to get away from the door Vegeta! You didn't listen. It's your own fault!" she snickered at him.

He glared at her from his sitting position. "Oh, like I'm supposed to know what this is?" he stated, copying the same frantic hand gestures she had sent him earlier.

Bulma rolled her eyes, then she stuck her tongue out. Vegeta's eyes narrowed.

"Do that again and see what happens!" he growled, his eyes hooded.

Bulma, believing he wouldn't do anything, did it again. With a speed that she, of course, couldn't follow, Vegeta jumped up and grasped her tongue between his teeth. Bulma's eyes widened.

"Thet thee tho!"

Vegeta shook his head, grazing his teeth against her tongue. Bulma resisted the urge to groan. I won't give him the satisfaction! Vegeta wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her into the now unoccupied bathroom. Bulma gave a small shriek. Vegeta reached behind her and locked the door, then he let her tongue go.

Bulma cleared her throat. "We're going to be late for dinner," she said, not really worried.

Vegeta smirked. "So!"

Bulma's eyes narrowed. "And be rude to our guest, I..." He cut her off, his lips crushing hers. She shuddered.

Vegeta pulled his head back a little, grazing his lips across her own. "Don't you ever stop talking?" he asked softly.

Bulma almost opened her mouth to argue, but noticed the teasing glint in his eyes. She smiled. _This is rare, so I'd better enjoy it,_she thought. She grabbed the back of his head and lowered his mouth back down to hers.

Later, Vegeta looked down at his sleeping wife cradled in the crook of his arm. Then he smiled to himself, answering his own question. He sure as hell was glad that she hadn't stopped talking! Then he quirked an eyebrow. All that mewing and groaning must have tired her out! He thought, chuckling. He sighed and closed his eyes, wondering how life got so good!


	16. Peace Between Them

_Peace Between Them_

_Man! What a couple of months! I'm so glad things worked out. I've never been happier! _Goku glanced over at the woman laying beside him. He rolled onto his side, propping his elbow up, resting his head against his palm as he watched her sleep. He caressed her face, pushing the hair back that was covering her cheek. She sighed in her sleep, turning and facing him, tucking her hand beneath her chin. A small smile appeared on Goku's face. _If anything were to happen to you, I don't know what I would do!? _He layed a hand on her hip, listening to her breathing. He slowly laid back down, placing his lips to her forehead. Goku ran his hand through her hair, watching as the silky strands fell through his fingers. Marie rolled back the other way, grabbing his arm and pulling it around her waist as she wiggled, trying to find a comfortable spot, finally settling down and dozing back off. Her tail thumped against the bed, then wrapped around his thigh. He smiled to himself, still a little surprised about that. He had been momentarily shocked, but then hadn't thought a lot about it since. _After all, _he mused, _she is a saiyan. _He didn't understand why Vegeta was so mad about it. "_Duh,"_ his mind answered, "_because he doesn't have his_." He grunted, a small smile playing on his lips. _Ah, Vegeta. You're never going to change! _Goku layed on his back, gently extracting Marie's tail from his leg. As soon as he made himself comfortable, it snaked back over, clutching his thigh again. He felt comfort in that, knowing that she wouldn't leave her tail so vulnerable to just anyone. He listened to the quiet, the wind rustling the trees outside the house, a bird chirping a couple of feet away. He sighed, content.

* * *

"Dad. Hey dad!" Goku jolted awake, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. A knock sounded on the door. "Hey dad. Are you okay?" Goku eyes surveyed the room. "I'm fine son. Just fell back to sleep," he said, noticing that Marie was already gone, the curtains billowing out from the open window. He grunted, swinging his legs over the bed. He walked over, gazing out towards the hillside before shutting the pane of glass. He walked over, opening the door and shutting it quickly behind him, not wanting Gohan to see the rumpled bed. Granted, he knew Marie came over, but Goku didn't want his son exposed to that side of their relationship just yet. _I know our relationship is new, _he thought, _but I would love for her to at least spend one night with me! Instead of only a couple hours before sneaking out thru the window._ He sighed, knowing that those were her terms and she wasn't going to change her mind anytime soon, even for him. He glanced down at his son. _"She's thinking of him," _his mind responded, _"remember that!"_

"So, Gohan, what do you want to do today!?" Goku asked, smiling.

* * *

They smacked each others energy ball away. Gazing warily at one another, they disappeared, a sonic boom echoing around the chamber as their fists connected with each other. Grimacing, they flew back, facing the other from across the room. Vegeta clenched his hands, leaning forward, letting more energy come to the surface. Marie watched, a frown on her face. He threw his head back and yelled, quickly ascending, his black hair turning gold, his eyes like emeralds. He sighed with satisfaction, a chuckle escaping past his lips. Marie didn't move, grunting a little as she also powered up, golden power swirling around her, energy crackling. "Well! Come on!" Vegeta demanded, growling as he shot forward, his shoulder coming in contact with her stomach. She let out a grunt, balling her hands up and, raising them above her head, brought them down on his back. Vegeta yelled out, watching as the ground quickly came up to meet him, sending out a wave of power, stopping himself mere inches from the floor. He landed, growling in frustration, sending a glare up towards the woman. Pressing his arms close to his body, he shot up, only to be slammed down again, this time smashing the floor, bits of concrete and metal flying. He raised up on his hands and knees, flinging his arm out and quickly blasting her, smirking and climbing to his feet as she raised her hands, holding it away for her as her feet slid backwards across the floor. She slung her arms up, the force of the blast momentarily lighting up the dome. They stared at each other, silently. He brought his arm up, clenching his fist. He smirked. "Had enough?" he said, a small smile appearing across his lips. Marie crossed her arms, snorting, wrapping her tail back around her waist. "That was just a warm up, wasn't it?" she asked, pushing her feet shoulder width apart. Momentarily taken aback, Vegeta stared at her for a moment before gritting his teeth. "Shut up!" he demanded, growling and blasting towards her again. He threw his arm back, yelling as he brought his fist forward. Moments later slamming into the wall, grunting as the back of his head smacked hard, rattling his teeth, before sliding down into a heap on the floor. He glanced up, watching as Marie slowly lowered her arm, fists balled at her side, tail twitching behind her. _She didn't even move!_ he thought, anger and disbelief washing over him. _She's getting better than me! Although, I'll be damned if I admit it._ He clenched his fist, turning the bits of mortar that had fallen from the wall into dust. _No wonder my father had made her my guardian!_ "That's enough for today," she stated quietly, walking over to the panel and pushing a button. Vegeta pounded his fist onto the floor. "I'll say when I've had enough!" he shouted, jumping to his feet, shaking with rage. She glanced at him, unfazed, waiting for the gravity to return to normal before opening the door. Pausing at the opening, she peered back at him. "Grow up, Prince," she stated, stepping down. Vegeta yelled, pulling his arm back and letting out a blast. It exploded against the wall, inches from where she had been standing. He fell to his knees, breathing hard, listening to Marie's low laughter as the door shut behind her.

He landed mere inches from her back, catching her fist as she twirled, her tail flicking back and forth as they gazed at each other.

"Goku," she said softly.

"Marie," he countered, his frown melting into a small smile. Her fist slowly uncurled, resting against his palm before threading her fingers through his. Goku gazed down at her, happiness swirling in his chest, as he grabbed her waist and quickly pulled her toward him.

They broke apart moments later, dropping their hands and masking their expressions, as Gohan landed a few feet away.

"Hey Marie! How've you been?" Gohan asked, running up to her. She layed her hand on his head, a small smile spreading across her face. Glancing briefly at Goku, she quickly settled her gaze on the boy. "I'm fine Gohan. Just been training with Vegeta." "Wow!" Gohan exclaimed, "can you tell me about it!?"

Goku watched Marie interact with his son, an ache creeping into his chest. He studied her as she squatted down to eye level, talking to Gohan as a serious fighter, and not just a kid. Goku felt his chest expand, almost overcome with emotion. _I'm going to marry this woman!_

A _boom_ rendered the air, moments before yelling could be heard across the estate. Goku automatically stood at attention, feet shoulder width apart, his hands balled into fists at his side. He quickly glanced around.

"What was that!" he yelled, searching for the source of the disturbance. Marie let out a bark of laughter, straightening up and crossing her arms. Goku quickly glanced at her. "What?"

She shook her head a little."It's just Vegeta," she stated, snorting a little before shooting a glare towards the pod behind the house.

"Oh," Goku straightened back up, narrowing his eyes. "What's wrong with him? Get up on the wrong side of the bed or what!?"

Marie shot him a grin. "He's always getting up on the wrong side of the bed. No. He's pissed that I bested him in our training exercise," she paused for a moment. "again." Goku threw back his head and laughed. "Oh! Wow! That's great!" Her cheeks flushed slightly, apparently embarrassed at the praise.

"Well," she began, "does either one of you want something to eat?" she asked, trying to change the subject. Goku and Gohan grinned.

"I'm surprised you even had to ask!" Goku said, both of them following her into the kitchen as another boom echoed through the air.

* * *

Vegeta watched the interaction between his cousin and Kakkarott, before they broke away as Gohan landed. They stood there for a few minutes, before she led them into the house. _Pathetic,_ he sneered, his brows deeply furrowed. He let out a yell again, sending a blast against the side of the pod, satisfaction creeping through him as it vibrated on impact. _How the Hell did she get so strong in such a short amount of time!_ He clenched his teeth, a grunt bursting forth as he shot another across the space, listening as the reactor groaned under the pressure. Flakes of metal fell at his feet, dust momentarily clouding his vision as a piece of the pods' roof slammed to the ground. _Why is she different than any other saiyan I have come across? _His mind conjured up the picture of her earlier, when they had been training. She had powered up to Super Saiyan level, but her appearance only slightly changed! _Why is she so different!? Her hair doesn't turn yellow like a regular saiyan! It stays brown, streaked with gold, and her tail! It changes color too! It turns gold also!_ Vegeta stared at the ground, now littered with bits and pieces that were blown from the structure during their training, deep in thought. _How can she ascend, but stay the same!_ He growled, clenching his fists. _It doesn't make any sense. The power! The energy I felt coming off of her was unreal!_ _It was..._ he gasped. _Higher...than...a...super saiyan. _

* * *

"Hey Goku," Bulma shouted, "can you grab the egg salad!" She layed the bags of potato chips and a shopping bag full of plates and silverware onto the outside patio. "Sure thing Bulma! Where is it?" Sighing, she shouted back, "In the fridge Goku!" She threw the bag in the trash. "Where else would it be?" she muttered to herself. She looked over, spotting Vegeta leaning against the side of the house, not quite close enough to be considered a part of the gathering. "Vegeta!" she shouted, watching as he whipped his head around. "You could be helping you know!" she stated, seeing more than hearing his grunt, before he turned his head back, closing his eyes and lifting it towards the sun. "God! What a downer!" she huffed, brushing her hands off and seating herself at the table. Yamcha and Krillin landed soon after. A moment later, Goku appeared, a huge bowl cradled in his arm, the other settled around Marie's waist. Gohan strolled behind them, happy as any little boy had a right to be. _My! Those two have gotten chummy. I wonder when they're going to get married?_ She smiled, watching as Marie's tail lovingly caressed Goku's arm, before wrapping around her waist. _Yep!_ She thought, _those two are definitely in love!_ Bulma sighed, her gaze sliding towards Vegeta. Her smile turning to a frown as she watched his eyes zero in on his cousin, a dark look passing over his features. She could see the muscle in his jaw twitching from where she sat. She sent a confused look towards Marie, who seemed oblivious. She got up and walked over to her.

"Marie," she said loudly, watching as the woman's gaze settled on her. She felt a little shiver go through her. _Man! I can't believe she still unnerves me! But those eyes! They creep me out even more than Vegeta's ever did!_ Bulma swallowed, coming to stand beside her, a little nervous from the energy she could feel radiating off of Vegeta's cousin. _Is this what Goku feels every time he gets close? Is that why him and Yamcha felt drawn to her?_ She glanced down at the ground. Briefly hesitating, she brought her head up, meeting the woman's gaze.

"What's going on between you and Vegeta? Why is he so mad at you lately?" She watched as Marie snorted, then rolled her eyes.

"Apparently," she said, sarcasm evident in her voice. "He's still mad about me beating him in our last training session a couple days ago. Other than that," she shrugged, "I couldn't tell you." She looked up from her plate, sending Bulma a look. "You're his wife," she said, gesturing with her free hand, "why don't you just go ask him?" Bulma was silent, watching as Marie turned back towards Goku, apparently talking about some new technique that she wanted to learn before they resumed their training. Brows furrowed, she slowly walked away, down the hill where Vegeta stood. She stopped in front of him. He kept his eyes closed, head leaned back.

"Vegeta!" she said loudly, impatient with him ignoring her. He didn't move a muscle for a few moments. Then he slowly lowered his head, his eyes narrowed as he glared at her.

"What!?" he growled, arms still folded over his chest.

"Will you join us? Come on, it'll be fun!" Bulma stated, laying her hand on his arm. Vegeta shook it off, looking over her shoulder for a moment before resting his gaze back on her. "NO." The finality in his voice vibrating through her. A vein twitched in his temple. She crossed her arms.

"Can you at least tell me why your so mad at Marie! What's going on between the two of you?" she demanded, gazing at him curiously. She watched him narrow his eyes even more, seeming to drill holes in his cousins' back. "None of your business!" he growled, turning to walk away. She grabbed his arm.

"But Vegeta..." she stopped when he whirled around.

"I SAID ITS NONE OF YOUR CONCERN!" he shouted, before turning back around and stomping out of sight. Bulma felt tears well up in her throat, before she pushed them back down. Turning back towards the patio, she stopped in her tracks. All eyes were staring back at her, apparently catching the little argument her and Vegeta just had. Goku stepped forward.

"Hey Bulma. Are you alright?" he asked, concern apparent in his face.

She turned and walked away.

* * *

Hours later, everyone had converged to the living room, deciding a lively discussion would help everyone catch up. Apparently there wasn't a lot to catch up on, since they were now arguing over who got to choose what to watch on T.V. Bulma stood at the kitchen sink, washing the few dishes they had from the cook out. Sighing, still angry at Vegeta and still slightly humiliated for being yelled at, she rinsed the cups and silverware on autopilot, her mind miles away. She had just rinsed the last cup, drying it and putting it away, rubbing down the sink, when she felt someone behind her. Thinking it was Vegeta, she turned around. Yamcha stood behind her, close enough that she could see the crows feet just beginning to appear at the corners of his eyes. She took a step back, bumping into the counter. She crossed her arms.

"What do you want Yamcha?" she asked, sliding a little towards the left. He frowned, his brows furrowed. "Are you okay, Bulma? I saw what Vegeta did earlier. Man, what a jerk!" he said, taking a step closer.

"You and everybody else!" she narrowed her eyes. "What?" She resisted the urge to take another step back as he moved closer, taking up some of her personal space. "If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here." Yamcha sent her a small smile.

"Yeah! And so is Goku and Marie! So, thanks but no thanks." Bulma stated, turning around and heading towards the living room. Yamcha grabbed her arm and spun her around.

"Don't put your hands on me!"

He sent her a look. "And what? Big, bad Vegeta will get me! I doubt it. Not after the display he put on earlier. He couldn't care about you in the slightest!" He took a step closer, "I can't believe you actually think that monster cares for you," he said, his voice low. "Don't know why you chose him over me, seeing as how he treats you like dirt."

The sound of knuckles hitting flesh reverberated around the room as she punched him across the face. "Don't talk about me like that!" She punched him again, watching as he landed on his back on the floor. "And Vegeta treats me ten times better than you ever did! You two-timing no account asshole!" She humphed, and turned and walked away.

Vegeta watched, obscured by the shadows in the doorway leading from the stairway, a grin slowly sliding across his face.


	17. Another side of Vegeta

_Another Side of Vegeta_

"I'm Sorry."

Bulma turned around. Her eyes widened at sight of Vegeta standing there, arms crossed. Momentarily taken aback, she dropped the clothes she'd been folding, abandoning them on the bed as she turned towards her husband.

"Wha...?" she cleared her throat. "What did you say to me Vegeta?" she asked, her voice a whisper. She watched as he clenched his jaw.

"I'm sorry," he muttered gruffly. Silence enveloped them for a few minutes before Bulma took a step forward. She peered up at him. "Are you sure your okay?" she asked, reaching to feel his forehead. He grabbed her wrist, his touch firm but gentle. "I'm fine," he stated, before kicking the bedroom door closed behind him. Bulma glanced at the door, then back at him.

"You're acting weird." she stated, "Are you sure you're okay? You're not possessed again, are you?"

He muttered something under his breath before pulling her forward, wrapping his arm around her waist, taking a breath and leaning his forehead against her own. He closed his eyes.

"I regret yelling at you the other day. It was uncalled for. I had no right to embarrass you like that," he stated, settling his hands on her hips. He opened his eyes, peering down at her. He reached up and ran his hand through her hair.

"You're not dying, are you?" she demanded, still confused about his behavior. He scowled, pressing his lips together. _There's the Vegeta I know!_ She thought, relief coursing through her.

"I'm not dying! I just..." he paused, "I'm sorry for taking you for granted," he confessed, as serious as she'd ever seen him. Bulma stared at him, apparently not able to get over his sudden change.

"Thank you," she said softly, backing up and sitting on the bed. She clasped her hand together in her lap. "Now tell me what's really going on." Her eyes widened. "Are you going back into space? Is that it!? You're leaving!?" A stricken look crossed her face, a tear squeezing out from the corner of her eye. Vegeta walked over. "No," he said, wiping the tear off her cheek, gazing down at her. "I'm not going anywhere." He leaned down, resting his hands on the mattress on either side of her. He moved forward, pushing her back with his presence until she lay down, gazing up at him through watery eyes. He bent down until they were nose to nose.

"If I ever go back in space," he growled, "I'm taking you with me." Bulma opened her mouth to say something. He swooped down, covering her mouth with his, crushing her lips for a moment before softening the kiss, listening to her moan as his hand snaked under her shirt, grazing her ribs with his fingertips.

"Oh yes," he stated, feeling the soft woman beneath him. "I'll definitely be taking you with me."

* * *

Bulma awoke, slightly disoriented. It took her a moment to remember she was in her room, the forgotten pile of clothes laying on the floor at the foot of the bed. She smiled slightly, curling the cover back over her as she layed back down. She stretched, bumping into something on Vegeta's side of the bed. She quickly looked over. A rose lay on his pillow, it's red petals dark against the stark white sheets. A folded piece of paper rested underneath it. Feeling a little thrill at the thought of Vegeta giving her flowers, she reached over and picked it up, breathing in the musky scent as she thought about her husband. Her fingertips touched the paper, a little apprehensive about opening it, scared of what it would say. She sat up, slowly unfolding it. She held her breath as she begun to read:

_Bulma,_

_Please accept this rose as an apology. I know that you will be thrilled at its scientific value (read the rest before you start your research woman!)._

Bulma snatched her hand back, realizing she was in fact reaching for the flower. He's know me too well, she thought, smiling a little.

_I have behaved abominably, and so therefore am setting on changing my ways. You belong at my side. I am proud to call you my Queen._

_Your Prince, _

_Vegeta_

Bulma sniffed, clutching the letter to her chest. She buried her face in her hands, falling back onto the bed as she sobbed into her pillow.

* * *

Vegeta paused, letting the ball of energy cradled in his hand disintegrate. The door to the gravity room slowly lowered, footsteps climbing up before Bulma walked through the arch. He lowered to the ground, crossing his arms. Apprehension coursed through him. _I'm not really good at this mushy stuff, _he thought, watching as Bulma faltered, stopping a few feet away from him. He noticed the tears staining her cheeks.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, slowly uncrossing his arms. Bulma shook her head. "No," she said, her voice weak. She let out a shuddering breath.

"Everything's perfect," she said softly, before running to him and throwing her arms around his neck.

Vegeta quickly wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes and smiling into her hair. "I take it you liked my letter?" he asked, moving back and peering down at her. She quickly wiped a hand over her eyes, gazing up at him, a small smile spreading on her lips. "No one's ever wrote me anything like that! And you're the first one to ever really give me flowers." He quirked an eyebrow. "You're telling me Yamcha never gave you any?" He forced down a chuckle at the look on her face. "Yamcha!? The only reason he ever gave me anything is as an apology for cheating," she scoffed. Vegeta tightened his hold on her, a serious expression passing over his face. "You will never have to worry about that from me," he stated quietly. "You're the only woman for me." Bulma let out a cry, flinging her arms once more around him. Vegeta chuckled, the sound echoing out until the door slowly closed, encasing them in privacy.


	18. Lies that Bind

_Lies that Bind_

Goku looked up from the table as someone pounded on the front door. He narrowed his eyes, knowing that it wasn't Marie because she had just left, about an hour ago. _She doesn't come through the front door anyways, _his mind smirked_, she comes through your window. _He smiled to himself, throwing the door open.

"Vegeta!?"_ This has to be some kind of record!_ He stepped back, letting the other warrior in. Vegeta strolled through, his arms crossed, appearing deep in thought. He walked over to the table, taking in the piles of dishes and parcels of food left on the counter. He didn't comment. Instead, he turned towards Goku as the front door shut.

Goku smiled, "Wow Vegeta! It's great to see you! What brings you over? I know you haven't been in a good mood lately..."

"Have you sparred with my cousin lately Kakkarot?" Vegeta demanded, cutting him off. Goku scratched his head a moment before settling his hands on his hips. "No, not lately. We haven't really been worried about sparring, if you know what I mean," he stated, grinning from ear to ear. Vegeta wrinkled his nose, crossing the room towards him. "So you haven't noticed anything...different about her?" he demanded, studying Kakkarot's face as he thought it over. "No," Goku said, studying the floor for a moment before refocusing his gaze on Vegeta. "Can't say that I have!" he stated, chuckling a little.

"So she hasn't told you then," Vegeta stated, gritting his teeth.

"Told me what Vegeta!? I don't think there's anything that's so important that she..."

"She can ascend beyond that of a Super Saiyan! Are you so blind that you can't see beyond a pretty face!?" he shouted, watching as the other saiyan absorbed this information.

"What's the big deal Vegeta?" Goku questioned, looking at his friend curiously, "so can we! What's your problem?"

He heard the prince grunt. "The problem is she didn't see fit to tell anyone. How do we know she hasn't been able to from the beginning? Think about it for a moment Kakkarot! Think with your brain instead of your-"

"Hey!" Goku shouted, cutting him off. He frowned.

"Use your head Kakkarot! Think of all the unusual things that have happened with her, no explanation being found, and now all of a sudden she has more power than me or you!" Vegeta stated loudly. Goku gasped, "I can't believe you just admitted that!" he said softly.

"What!?" the prince demanded.

"About your cousin being more powerful than you." He stared, watching Vegeta's eyes snap, his brows furrowing.

"I'm not an idiot Kakkarot! I know a potential threat when I see one!" He said, balling his hands at his sides. Goku gaped at him. "A threat! What are you talking about? You know that she isn't..."

Vegeta cut him off. "We know some things about her past. But not enough! We still don't know what happened in the last few years! Or how she got here! Or her reason for staying!"

Goku studied the floor. "I thought that..." he began slowly.

"What!?" Vegeta demanded. "That she was staying here for you!" he smirked. "You are too trusting Kakkarot! Blindly accepting what's in front of you when you should be questioning the source." He grunted, glaring at Goku. "My family is not going to suffer because of her. She's hiding important information! I know it!"

"What do you think we should do?" Goku asked, crossing his arms and frowning. "We can't just confront her with no proof!"

"Why not!" Vegeta countered, "that's usually the best way to get some straight answers."

* * *

Marie closed her eyes, and leaned her head against the wall, catching the tail end of their discussion. She watched the play of light coming through the doorway, and clenched her fists. _So they think I'm hiding something. How stupid! I don't know any more than they do. I haven't remembered as much as they think! _She felt her eyes burn. _Goku! After everything, why would you expect the worse from me?_ She watched Goku's shadow go past, and scooted further to the side, watching the corner to see if he entered where she was hiding. _Coming back had been a mistake. I don't know why I even thought to tell him about... _She swallowed, cutting the thought off, quietly walking back towards the window where she had sneaked in. Goku's bedroom. _Vegeta_, she thought, pausing and gazing down at the floor. _You're the worst. You set out to get to know a relative you never had, and how do you repay me? With mistrust and accusations. That must be why you've been acting so odd lately, more odd than usual. _She put a foot on the window seal, pausing and glancing back at the bed against the wall. _And Goku. You couldn't even give me the benefit of the doubt. I did stay here for you, wanting so badly to search the galaxy for answers that burned within me. I thought I was staying for something that was worthwhile, but apparently... _she set her jaw, shooting off into the night..._you, Goku, aren't worth it. _

* * *

Vegeta grunted, banging his fists against the table. The cups rattling madly for a few moments before settling down, coffee sloshing over the rims.

"Where the hell is she!?" he shouted, gritting his teeth and lifting his gaze to meet Goku's. "It's been three days and you haven't seen her?" he seethed, suspicion clouding his eyes. Goku sat across from him, arms crossed, frowning into his cup.

"No." he said quietly, apparently deep in thought.

Vegeta scoffed. "This doesn't make any sense, Kakkarot! You're supposedly dating her and she hasn't shown up to see you? What did you do?" he questioned, "make her mad!" Vegeta smirked.

Goku shot his gaze up, studying Vegeta for a moment before answering. "I haven't seen her since the day you came to my house making accusations."

"You think she heard us? Don't know why that would make her so mad. It's the truth!"

"Because you idiots," Bulma stated, walking into the room, "she probably feels betrayed, not only by you Vegeta, but also by you too Goku!" she finished, shooting a glare at Goku's profile. She crossed her arms.

"Have you seen her?" Vegeta demanded, his gaze softening when he looked at his wife. He softened his voice. "Please tell us." Goku's head jerked up, staring at Vegeta in disbelief. He ignored him. Bulma sighed, shaking her head. "No, I haven't seen her either." She sat beside Goku, grabbing a cup of coffee and taking a sip, worry evident in her eyes.

"Maybe she went back to where she came from!" Bulma stated a moment later, looking into the black liquid. Vegeta and Goku's gaze met, each thinking the same thoughts. "If she went back to where she came from, there's a possibility she could bring "friends" back with her." They both stood at the same time, surprising Bulma and sloshing even more coffee onto the table.

"Let's go find her!" Goku said, falling in beside Vegeta as they shot off into the sky.

* * *

_What's going on? _She tried to lift her head up, a moment later letting it sink back down, the action too much effort. _Did I pass out again? _Her brows furrowed in thought. _That doesn't make any sense, _she thought groggily, _I haven't had any problems for the past few months, why now?_ She groaned, confused as her body throbbed, aching all over. _What the hell is wrong with me?_

"So, you finally decided to wake." A voice boomed in front of her, sending a chill through her entire body. _I've heard that voice before!_ She became instantly alert, keeping her eyes closed, trying to get a sense of exactly who it was. Someone grabbed her hair, jerking her head back. Her eyes snapped open, her teeth grinding.

"Ah, that's better." The creature grinned, razor teeth flashing before it stepped forward, its violet skin shining underneath the florescent light. The creature flicked a hand, motioning towards the interior of the room. "Do you like what I've done with the place, _Princess Marie?_" it hissed. Marie's eyes widened momentarily before narrowing. "How do you know who I am?" she demanded, studying the creature in front of her, watching as its thick white tail swished behind it. The hand in her hair tightened, the bastard staying just out of eye range. The thing chuckled.

"Ooh, you don't remember me!" the creature put a hand to its chest. "That wounds me, really." It stepped closer. "I would expect out of anyone, you would remember me! After all," the lizard-like creature whispered, bringing its lips close to Marie's ear, "I am the one that ruined your life."

Marie clenched her jaw, gazing at the monster as it stepped back. Noticing the expression on the saiyans' face, it grinned, its lips sliding eerily over its face. "Still don't remember?" the creature taunted, "let me refresh your memory." It spread its arms out. "I'm Sadine, Frieza's sister." Marie felt a niggling in the back of her mind. _I should know her. _Her eyes widened a moment later, a memory seeping through her subconscious. "No," she whispered. She could feel rage boiling to the surface. "NOOOO!" she screamed, throwing her head back, a burst of energy ricocheting through her, enveloping her in white hot light. Marie's fists clenched at her sides, her body shaking with rage. She jerked, feeling a pinprick on the back of her neck. Ice congealed in her veins, seeping through her body. Screaming in agony, her knees slammed the floor, her fingers forming cracks beneath her as she ground her teeth. Her eyes bulged from the pain, her breathing coming in spats. _I can't catch my breath! What the hell did she do to me?_ Cruel laughter echoed in her ears as everything went black.

* * *

They gazed down at the vast expanse of mountains, grim faced. The formed rock stretched for miles, disappearing over the horizon far off, its white peaks vanishing into the clouds. Streaks of light from the sun blazed down, lighting the mountainside before darkening, clouds rolling in from the east. The sides of the mountain a sea of green, trees littering the base and thinning out as the rocks gave way to sheer cliffs. A flock of birds flew in, landing momentarily on one of the jagged edges before fluttering away, dispelling the quietness, an illusion of peace settling over the valley.

"So this is where you felt the burst of energy, Kakkarot?" Vegeta asked, his voice low.

"Yep," Goku said, his face grim.

They had both felt the surge of energy that had burst forth through the air hours ago, immediately shooting off towards it, but quickly losing track of it as it faded into nothing. Goku had jerked, moments later, his head whipping around, his gaze widening. Silent, he burst off, Vegeta close behind. _I hadn't felt anything,_ he thought, _but Kakkarot's been right too many times to dismiss his intuition now._ Vegeta clenched his fists, gazing down at the forest below, the trees snaking around one another, seeming to choke each other as they stretched toward the sky. The place his cousin was supposed to be. Narrowing his eyes, he flicked his gaze toward Goku.

"Kakkarot, do you feel that?" he asked softly. A muscle clenched in the saiyan's jaw. "Yes," Goku growled, never taking his eyes off the landscape.

"That power! It's familiar, but I can't place it! It couldn't be Marie..." Vegeta trailed off, clenching his teeth.

"No," Goku stated. "It's much too evil. It's not hers." His face grim, he quickly descended.

"Wait for me!" Vegeta whispered loudly, following the other saiyan, landing on the forest floor. He surveyed their surroundings. "Where do you suppose she is?"

"Right there," Goku said, his eyes fixed over Vegeta's shoulder. The prince turned around. "What the hell is that!" he gasped, tumbling a few steps back, falling in beside the other warrior.

They gazed at the dome-like shape, its exterior black with a foreign metal, the mineral seeming to reflect off the surrounding environment, the body shining opaque in the dying sunlight. No creases marred the perfectly round surface, the bottom flat, its sides stretching for what seemed like miles, the trees and surrounding growth smothered under its weight. The dome reached the tree tops, giving off a cold shadow as the sun set behind the massive mountains.

"There doesn't seem to be a way in," Goku stated, walking closer and rubbing his hand on the cold, hard surface. Vegeta took a step forward.

"Be careful, Kakkarot! We don't know what that is!" he exclaimed, his eyes shifting from left to right.

"Oh yeah. She's in there all right," Goku turned towards Vegeta. "I can feel her." He frowned, slowly lifting himself and flying around the thing, searching for a way in. "There isn't a way in, as far as I could tell."

"There's got to be!" Vegeta snapped, walking up beside Goku. "How else do you explain my cousin getting in there!" They both studied it again, grim faced, as their eyes roamed over it. A moment later they glanced at each other, confused.

Vegeta growled. "This doesn't make any sense! Do you still feel her energy Kakkarot?" Goku nodded, a muscle jumped in his jaw. "There's only one way to get in," he stated, before jumping back a couple feet, widening his stance, slapping his wrist together in front of him, palms facing out.

"Kaaaaa, maaayyy," Goku's gaze zeroed in on the black dome, his face impassive. Vegeta jumped back, landing behind Goku as he gathered more energy.

"Haaaaa, maAAYYY!" He gritted his teeth.

"HHAAAAAAAAAAA." Goku shouted, shooting his arms forward, letting out a huge blast of golden energy.

They both watched as the blast hit the side, black pieces of debris flying through the air, dust billowing out, shooting past them as they stood, unmoving. Cracks formed, running up to the top of the dome, black wisps of smoke creeping out before disappearing. Goku straightened, clenching his fists at his sides.

"There we go," he said, turning to shoot Vegeta a smirk.

Vegeta was gone. Goku gasped, looking around.

"Vegeta!?" he yelled, running up to the spot where the saiyan had been standing moments before. Vegeta lay on the ground, unmoving. Goku bent down, raking his eyes over him before noticing the tiny dart sticking out of the prince's neck. "What in the world!" he whispered, bending forward to pull it out. Something stung him, making him jerk. He shot his arm up, his movements surprisingly sluggish. He touched the back of his neck with his fingertips, the tiny weapon sticking out just below his hairline, before falling forward, unconscious.

* * *

"Kakkarot, wake up!"

He started, groaning, confused as to where he was. He let his head fall forward, his body aching. _Did I fall asleep. Why do I feel like I've been beat to a pulp?_ Goku clenched his eyes for a moment, pain shooting down his arms.

"Damn it! Get up!"

Goku groaned again, the voice echoing in his head through a long tunnel. _Why is Vegeta's voice in my head?_ He tried to swipe the sweat off his forehead. His arm didn't move. His eyes snapped open. He jerked his head up.

"It's about time!" Vegeta growled, his voice low.

Goku looked up, trying to pull his arm down to his side. Metal, the same as the dome-shaped exterior, encased his wrists. He looked over. Vegeta was hanging beside him, his wrists also bound. Goku looked down. The wall stretched down, seeming to go into nothingness, lights glowing softly near a doorway off to the right. He let out a burst of energy, jerking his arms, trying to break the clasps.

"Don't waste your time, Kakkarot." Vegeta stated, his eyes fixed forward. "It doesn't work," he said softly, his face hard as granite. Goku looked more closely in the dim light, gasping when he saw the blood running from Vegeta's wrists, staining the front of his suit a dark red.

"Look over there," Vegeta whispered, gesturing with his chin. Goku followed his gaze, jerking in surprise when he spied Marie, her body swaying slightly, her wrists cuffed to chains falling from the ceiling. Her head was bowed, her golden streaked hair swaying from side to side as her body moved. Her tail hanging limply behind her. She didn't move when Goku called her name.

"She's unconscious. She probably got hit with one of those darts, the same one's that hit us." Vegeta gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowed.

"Who do you suppose did this?" Goku asked, trying to peer into the darkness, searching for any sign that they weren't alone.

"I don't know. But I'll tell you this," Vegeta growled, his temper rising, "I'm going to kill whoever did. Nobody gets the drop on me and lives to tell about it!"

"Oooh, I'm so scared!" A voice echoed up to them, moments before a figure appeared, stopping a few feet away from them, it's tail swishing behind it.

"Frieza!" Goku yelled, his eyes rounding before powering up.

The creature laughed.

"That's not Frieza." Vegeta stated, glaring, grim faced as it floated closer. Goku shot him a confused look. "What!" he demanded.

"It's Frieza's sister, Sadine." Vegeta said through clenched teeth.

"Right you are," Sadine said, smirking. "But then again, you always were the smart one, weren't you?" She paused. "For a monkey."

Vegeta grunted, a small smile appearing on his face. "That's not going to work on me, so why don't you give it a rest. I've heard it before." he stated, watching as her face contorted in rage. He saw her body tense.

"From my brother, no doubt," she said, lowering her head and closing her eyes. "The idiot hated your kind so much," she stated softly, chuckling a moment later. "I guess that's why the irony of one killing him is amusing to me." She opened her eyes. "And now its my turn to have the pleasure of killing one of you annoying pests."

Both saiyans tensed, their gazes never leaving the lizards form. She spread her arms out, palms facing skyward. "Now this will only hurt for a moment." she said gleefully, laughing as they powered up, their bodies glowing brightly in the dim room.

"Now that's not going to do you any good," she taunted, licking her lips in anticipation. She raised her arms, a pinprick of light forming above her head. She gasped, the ball vanishing as she twirled around.

"What!" she demanded, flying towards Marie hanging in the middle of the room. The lizard grasped her jaw, jerking her head up, studying Marie's blank face. She thrust her other hand in the woman's face, a ball appearing in her palm. Marie didn't move. She let go, watching as the saiyans' head fell back, her hair sliding over her shoulder's before settling down her back. She stayed limp.

"Mmmm," Sadine narrowed her eyes, frowning. "What was that that I felt? She's obviously not awake." She folded her arms, running her gaze over the woman's body.

Goku and Vegeta watched, helpless to do anything. Their faces grim as the alien circled the unconscious warrior, stopping back in front of her. They saw her jerk to attention.

"What is this!?" They heard her muttered to herself. Then a soft chuckle filled the air. She layed her hand of Marie's abdomen. She turned her head, her gaze settling on the two saiyans helpless against the wall. Her grin evil as she barked with laughter.

"Looks like someone is going to be a daddy!" she stated, her singsong voice echoing through the chamber.

Vegeta gasped, jerking his head towards Kakkarot. Goku glared at Sadine, his eyes narrowed, his face darkening.

"Did you know Kakkarot?" Vegeta whispered, his gaze studying the other saiyan.

Goku ignored him. His face seemed to get darker as power surged from him, energy crackling down his body, his hair shooting past his waist, his blue gaze deadly. Vegeta jerked his head back around as the alien laughed at Goku's rage.

"Say bye, bye," she smiled, unlatching Marie, watching her body fall for a moment before shooting a session of blue blasts towards her, a look of satisfaction on her face as they exploded, engulfing the saiyan woman as a cloud of smoke billowed up. Vegeta watched, stunned, as his cousin's body sailed towards the floor, slamming down a moment later, the floor cracking underneath her at the impact. She lay there, unmoving. Vegeta's jaw clenched, shooting his gaze back to the lizard, before glancing beside him, momentarily taken aback by the expression on Goku's face. Goku's gaze never wavered from Sadine's form, his face carved out of granite. He didn't flinch as Marie slammed the ground, a vein jumping in his temple. Vegeta darted a glance back down to the floor. Her body lay still, her hair fanned out beneath her head. He brought his gaze back towards Goku.

"Kakkarot, we need to get out of here before this maniac kills her, and your child." He studied him, noticing that Goku didn't so much as flinch. "Didn't you hear me," he asked loudly. "She's going to kill your child! Don't you care!"

Goku burst forth, not answering, growling as he yanked on the restraints, screaming in rage, lifting his body up, his biceps bulging, as he desperately tried to free himself.

Sadine laughed in amusement, slowly floating over to the enraged saiyan. "Oh don't worry. You'll never have the chance to mourn it. The little monkey is better off dead."

Goku's labored breathing filled the silence, death in his eyes. "Your going to regret you ever met me," he stated softly. His arms hung limp against the cuffs, his chest heaving. "LET ME OUT OF HERE RIGHT NOW!" he screamed, another burst of power shooting off him, knocking the lizard back a couple feet before she spread her limbs, stopping with a jolt. She threw her head back and cackled.

"Oh I love it!" she gasped out, "no wonder my brother kept you saiyans on such a short leash."

Vegeta growled, smirking as he felt Goku's rage intensify. They all paused, looking down, as the door opened, white light flooding in before someone stepped through the archway. A young man appeared, resting his gaze on the woman on the floor. They heard him gasp.

"What are you doing in here!?" Sadine demanded, clenching her fists. "Get out! Now!"

But the boy ignored her, faltering for a moment before running over, his feet sliding as he stopped beside Marie. His tail whipping behind him.

Vegeta gasped. "Another saiyan!" Goku watched as well, a frown etched into his face.

They followed with their eyes as the boy bent down, studying the woman for a moment. His breath hitched.

"Mom?" he whispered, his voice echoing up to the two saiyans. They both glanced at each other, surprised.

"Mom!" the boy stated frantically, jerking a bag off his belt that was wrapped around his waist, hands shaking as he dumped the contents onto the floor. He picked something up, shoving it between her lips.

"Eat this, mom," he said softly, reaching up to move the hair from her face.

A snap reverberated around the room, followed by a boom, as the boy slammed into the wall. Sadine lifted her foot, crushing the contents he had spilled on the floor a few moments ago. "I don't think so!" she said darkly, slowly walking over to the boy and grabbing his shirt. She lifted him up, his feet leaving the ground, her face contorted in rage.

"How did you get out!?" she demanded, shaking him a little. He smirked, a look of defiance settling on his face. "Did you really think your guards could keep me contained?" he asked, balling his hands into fists. "They couldn't keep my mother under your control. And they won't keep me!" he stated, his tail flicking behind him, glaring at the lizard.

"Shut up! You insolent monkey!" she shouted, throwing him back into the wall. Goku and Vegeta heard him cry out, groaning as he slid to the floor. They looked at each other, surprise evident on their face.

"What's going on!?" Vegeta asked softly, his gaze settling back onto the boy. "I don't know Vegeta," Goku answered, his voice troubled, his gaze focused on the scene below.

The boy grunted, again and again, as Sadine kicked him, his body lifting up before crashing down again, his knees and hands connecting with the floor. He coughed, spraying blood onto the cold ground. The lizard stretched her arm out, a ball of energy forming in front of her. "Say bye bye to mommy," she grinned.

Sadine screamed as a ball of yellow energy hit the side of her body, smoke streaming from her arms and legs and she flew back, skidding across the floor, a deep ridge forming along the path.

Marie lowered her hand, her face grim, eyes narrowed. She glanced down, studying the boy laying on the floor. She balled her hands up, her muscles clenching as she stood motionless, watching as he struggled to his feet.

She walked up to him, focusing intently on his face. "Is is really you?" she whispered. A shadow of a smile appeared on the boys' face. "Yeah, mom. It's me," he replied, clutching his side, grimacing. Disbelief appeared in her eyes. "I watched you die! I was there! How can you be here if you're dead!?" she stated, her voice growing louder with each word. The boy studied her for a moment, before briefly glancing over to Sadine. "She tricked us," he said, gesturing with his chin, pausing for a moment to take a breath. "She shot me with one of those darts, just so she could take me away from you, letting you believe I was dead." He grimaced. "The dart was full of concentrated chemicals. They reduce the body to a coma like state." He looked at her, his eyes troubled. "And when you found me, you thought I was already dead. It made my body shut down," he finished softly.

Marie was silent for a moment. "NO! I felt your breath leave your body!" She stepped back. "This is some kind of trick!" she glanced over to Sadine's still form. "I heard your heart stop," she said quietly. She looked back at the boy leaning against the wall. "I watched you die! I saw your lifeless eyes!" She took a shuddering breath. "I almost died trying to save you. I killed more people than I want to think about trying to get to you," she paused, "and you're telling me that it was all fixed?"

He watched her for a moment, his gaze troubled. "Not by me, mom."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Marie yelled, "This is a trick! I _saw you die!"_ Silence rendered the air. She studied him, her breathing erratic. "Give me one good reason why I should believe you," she demanded, balling her hands up.

He slowly reached into his shirt, extracting a chain, a disk with a dark green stone centered in the middle of it. He held it up for her to see. "Do you believe me now?" he asked, his voice a whisper.

She reached out, her hand shaking, taking it from his fingers and gazing at it a moment before raising her eyes to his. Her face turned white, the emblem sliding out of her fingers, the clanking of the chain loud in the room.

"Lynn," she whispered, her voice laced with pain. She fell to her knees, her face buried in her hands. A cry ripped from her throat as she slammed her fists against the floor. "You!" _BAM _"Are!" _BAM_ "Going!" _BAM _"to _PAY_!" she screamed, her hair whipping around her as yellow light swirled around her, static blazing down her mane. Her tail burst with golden light, snapping against the ground in fury. She growled, slowly lifting her head and gazing at her son, before climbing to her feet, her eyes piercing with uncontrollable rage.

Marie slowly turned her head, watching as Sadine tried to struggle to her feet, falling to her knees once more before getting up. Her breathing labored, she shot the saiyan woman a look of rage. "I knew you would end up being trouble!" she sneered, her lips curling as her teeth clenched. "I should have killed you when I had the chance," she admitted, her one good arm raising as she balled her hand into a fist. Marie glared at her, a small smile forming on her lips. "You could have tried," she said softly, turning fully towards the alien, rolling her shoulder's.

Sadine growled, studying the saiyan for a moment before chuckling, her tail swishing behind her. "At least I got a saiyan out of the deal." She licked her lips. Marie's gaze shot to the young boy, before quickly returning. "Oh, him?" the lizard said softly, "I'm surprised you fell for that little trick!" The saiyans' eyes narrowed. Sadine took a step forward. "Don't look so mad," she said silkily, "Your son died years ago. I took that necklace and gave it to the boy you see there." She fluttered her hand, resting her gaze on the young saiyan. "Now leave! You are no use to me now. You've spoiled my plans, you idiot!" The boy took a step back, gagging when someone grabbed the collar of his shirt. Marie jerked him forward, turning him around, his tail swishing in front of her before wrapping around his waist.

"What are you doing!" Sadine yelled, taking a few steps forward, coming to a halt when Marie's gaze shot to her. Grasping his collar, she yanked down, tearing the boys' shirt in two down his back. "NO!" Sadine screamed, stumbling back as Marie gazed down at the boys back. A dark red mark in the shape of a dragons' body stood out against his skin, the tip of its' tail touching his shoulder blade, before curving around towards his waist, the claws and nose stopping at the boys hip bone. Marie let him go, her face grim as she looked back towards the alien.

"He's my son," she stated softly. Silence enveloped them, Lynn's voice cutting through the air a moment later. "Let me help mom. I owe it to the bitch!" he growled, throwing the tattered remains of his top to the floor, stepping forward. She shot her arm out, blocking him from going any further. "No," she commanded, keeping her gaze firmly on the lizard. "If you want to help, release them." She jerked her gaze towards Goku and Vegeta, before looking back, slowly walking towards the lizard that had made her last few years a living hell. Sadine jerked, turning and running in the opposite direction.


	19. Natural Born Guardian

_Natural Born Guardian_

They flew out, pausing just above the tree tops, grim faced. They stared down at the black dome, watching as fire leaped from underneath the structure. The sound of screams reached their ears.

"Come here son," Marie said softly, her fists uncurling, her limbs hanging limp at her sides. She didn't turn around. The boy floated over to her, arms crossed, tail swishing behind him in a mesmerizing dance before settling, peering up at the woman he called mother. He didn't say anything. She lifted her hand up, palm facing the sky. "Give me your hand," she commanded, silently waiting as he layed his hand into hers. Rotating their hands until their palms faced the forest floor, she told him to power up.

"What are you doing Marie!?" Goku and Vegeta both yelled, slightly puzzled at her actions. She ignored them, powering up along with her son. "Now blast," she commanded, letting a short yell out, watching with an impassive look on her face as their combined blast spiraled down, twirling around each other before blowing up as it impacted the massive structure. Smoke mushroomed up, almost touching their feet, before slowly dissipating, bits of debris floating in the sky before falling back towards the ground. When the smoke cleared and bits of metal shined up from the forest floor, Marie turned and, without another word, blasted off, her son close on her heels. They disappeared, ignoring Goku and Vegeta's shouts.

* * *

Both men landed outside Capsule Corporation. "Where is she!?" Vegeta demanded, spying Bulma waiting on the steps. He softened his words by cupping her cheek for a moment, before going past her into the house. "Vegeta!" she said loudly, but the saiyan had already disappeared. She turned towards Goku. "Please take it easy. You don't know what she's been through!" Bulma stated, sighing a moment later as her words apparently fell on deaf ears. She watched a grim faced Goku follow behind Vegeta, ignoring her protests. She threw up her hands, letting out an exasperated breath before turning and making her way to her lab.

"What the hell's wrong with you!? Vegeta yelled, his voice booming throughout the room, gazing at his cousin sitting at the dining table, her son standing beside her. She ignored him, gazing out the vast windows along the wall. "Why don't you calm down?" her son, Lynn, asked, frowning at the man standing on the other side of the table. His tail unraveled, flicking in agitation. "Shut up, boy!" Vegeta demanded, walking across the floor, his hands clenched into fists. The boy physically tensed, the power emanating from him slowly rising. "Stop it!" Goku walked into the room, sending Vegeta a look. "Vegeta, leave the boy alone." He turned to the young saiyan. "Your name's Lynn, right?" he asked, watching as the boy briefly nodded, his gaze swiveling back towards Vegeta. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Goku." he said quietly, clasping the boys hand before finally settling his gaze on Marie. "We need some answers Marie," he stated, watching as her jaw clenched, her gaze not moving from the window.

"Answer us dammit! We deserve to know!" Vegeta banged his hand on the table.

"Leave my mom alone! What right do you have questioning her!?" Lynn demanded, unfolding his arms, clenching his fists at his sides. Vegeta shot his gaze toward him, rage seeping into his eyes. "What right!? What RIGHT!? I'll teach you some manners you insolent little brat!" He took a step forward.

"Leave him alone," Marie said softly, her voice final. Her gaze met Vegeta's. "Now." He took a step back, studying her face for a moment, before clenching his jaw. "The boy needs an attitude adjustment!" He narrowed his gaze. "Not by you," Marie stated, turning fully towards them and resting her elbows on the table. Their gaze flew to her hands, where the necklace that her son had been wearing was clenched in her fists, the chain wrapped around her wrist.

"Why didn't you tell Kakkarot-"

"Vegeta!" Goku snapped, "Not now," he said, shaking his head. He turned back towards Marie. "Can you tell us about it?" he asked, his voice gentle, at odds with the intense expression on his face. Marie lowered her gaze, studying the necklace, rubbing her thumb back and forth across the emblem. Shouting and screaming echoed through her mind before she blinked, returning to the present.

"We were living on a planet called Liparu," she paused, her brows furrowing.

"I've never heard of that planet!" Vegeta stated loudly, crossing his arms. "You wouldn't," Marie countered, not looking up. "It was a peaceful place. A Lupe race inhabited it, before Sadine came and destroyed it." Her eyes flashed, a far off look in her eyes.

_She was standing at the window, watching as the black dome of metal slowly descended out of the sky, the wind blowing so hard the trees bent all the way to the ground, some snapping and whipping through the air. Dust blanketed the crops, the road disappearing underneath the sand as the ship landed, rocks and dirt hitting the exterior of her home, listening as some windows broke in other parts of the house. A sliver of fear went through her as she watched soldiers fill out, their armor reflecting the rays of the sun as they marched into formation, waiting. She turned her head as her son ran through the doorway. "Mom! Do you see that?" She nodded, trepidation coursing through her. "What's going on!? Who is that?" She ignored his questions. She glanced back out the window, before turning around and facing her son. "We need to leave. Tonight!"_

"Marie," Goku said softly. She looked up, refocusing her gaze on the saiyan, her lips pressed into a thin line. "We were planning on leaving that night, but," Marie looked over at her son, "someone decided they wanted to be a hero." Her son ducked his head, his gaze focused on the ground. His tail shook for a moment, before laying limp behind him. "I, um.." he started, his voice low, "I thought I would protect my mom and everyone else. I thought since my mom taught me to fight, and she was the strongest fighter I knew, that I could easily beat Sadine and her soldiers, and we wouldn't have to flee." He tucked his chin, a flush creeping up his neck. Marie spoke up. "Sadine and her soldiers captured him. I killed half her army before she did the same to me," she said, her voice just above a whisper. "She caught me then the same way she did you two, with those damn darts." Her hand clenched around the necklace, a muscle ticking in her jaw. "I'm sorry mom," Lynn said quietly, resting his gaze on her face. Nobody said anything for a moment, then Marie took a shuddering breath. "It doesn't matter now. It's done and over with."

"How old are you boy!" Vegeta asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I'm fifteen," he stated, "Why?"

Vegeta crossed his arms. "How long ago did this happen?" The boy thought for a moment. "Six years ago," he said softly.

"So that means you were only nine at the time. You were an eager young boy, weren't you!" Vegeta said, a smirk spreading on his face. Lynn's face flushed again. "You really thought you could take on an army by yourself?" Vegeta asked, his voice condescending. "Mom trained me," Lynn stated, as if that answered everything. Vegeta grunted. "If you recall," Marie spoke up, "I trained you too Vegeta. When you were a boy." Vegeta remained silent.

"So that would have made you..." Goku began, studying Marie's face. "What? Around twenty when you had him."

"I was eighteen," Marie said quietly.

"Who's your father?" Vegeta demanded, noticing the young saiyan jerk at his question. "I don't know," he stated. They all looked at the woman sitting at the table. She didn't meet their eyes.

"Lynn," she said abruptly. He straightened. "Go to the kitchen and get something to eat," she demanded, not looking up. "But..." he protested.

"Now!" They watched his retreating back, his tail flicking in anger, his shoulder's bunched to his ears. He disappeared around the corner. Marie got up and closed the door, resting her palm against the wood. A beat of silence.

"His father's name is Raditz," she said softly, not turning around.

"What!" Goku and Vegeta yelled, both looking at her in disbelief. Goku slowly stood, his gaze riveted on Marie. "You were married to my brother!?" he asked, horror creeping into his voice. She swung around. "No!" She stated loudly, "I hated the bastard!" She clenched her jaw, a breath hissing through her teeth. "Then, why...?" Goku's voice trailed off, his arms hanging limply beside him. She walked towards the window, narrowing her eyes. "You're asking if it was consensual," she said, stopping in front of the glass, gazing out at the city, the building tops just visible over the hillside. "No," she confessed quietly, "it wasn't."

_She awoke with a start, coldness passing over her as she slowly turned her head, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. Groaning, she rested a hand on her forehead. My mouth tastes like cotton, she thought, confusion running through her mind. She felt goosebumps rise on her body. Puzzled, she ran her hand down her chest. Why the hell am I naked? She ached deep in her abdomen, her legs throbbing. She felt something sticky and warm between her thighs. What's going on? She forced her eyes open, hearing a rustling somewhere near the end of the bed. She froze. "What the hell did you do to me!?" she demanded, staring at the man standing a few feet away. He finished tugging his shirt down, slowly walking towards her, his tail swishing behind him. His arm shot out, grabbing her around the throat. He lifted her, bringing her face a breath away from his. He smiled at the confusion and fear in her eyes. "Your mine now, Princess," he stated, tightening his hold for a moment before throwing her back onto the bed. She stared up at him, disbelief choking her as she finally realized what this monster did to her. "You raped me," she said softly. Anger immediately replaced fear, as she glared up at the man, clenching her hands in the bloody sheets. "You bastard!" she said harshly, rage billowing up. Raditz laughed, crossing his arms and wrapping his tail around his waist. She screamed, lashing out, clipping his chin before he jumped away. Frowning for a moment, his face settled into a smirk, his hand coming up to rub his face, before shaking his head. "You'll learn soon enough not to disobey me," he promised, withdrawing a jagged, six-inch knife from the leather band around his bulging thigh. Marie let the rage engulf her, power swirling around her, white light bursting from her. Raditz chuckled. "Nice show," he smirked, taking a step toward her. He twirled the knife in his palm, watching her reaction as he came closer. Her eyes narrowed. She grunted, her hair streaking gold, her tail glowing a moment before static ran up her body, the energy around her flashing from white to yellow. Raditz faltered, his eyes widening momentarily before gritting his teeth, stalking towards her, his eyes deadly. "You'll learn your lesson soon enough," he muttered, lifting his arm up and slashing the knife down towards he throat. She shot her arm out, grabbing his wrist, stopping the knife mere inches from her face. He grunted, swinging his leg out, kicking her legs out from under her, landing on top of her as she slammed into the floor. Her energy flickered away, leaving her body tired and weary. He pressed the blade to her throat, gazing down at her with narrowed eyes. "Don't you ever raise your power against me again," he said harshly, pushing on her throat until blood trickled down the side of her neck. She jerked her hand up, blasting him in the face, listening to the sickening crunch as his body hit the wall. He slid down, motionless for a moment before growling and sitting up. Wrapping a sheet around herself, she took off, blasting through the roof. _

Her gaze slowly came into focus, watching the reflection of Goku step closer. "I'm sorry," he said softly, his face grim. "Don't be," she stated, "it's not your fault." His jaw clenched.

"But it was my brother. He shouldn't have done that! I knew he was evil, but to rape a woman..." he trailed off, slowly shaking his head. Vegeta gazed at her, silent. "That's when I left home," she said, turning around.

"I don't want this getting back to my son," she commanded, gazing at both of them. They nodded, their complexions white. She lowered her gaze, studying the necklace in her palm. "I never saw him after that. He never knew I bore a son as a result."

Vegeta grunted. "You know he's dead, right?"

"I know," she said quickly, raising her head and meeting both their gazes. "I heard, years later. Didn't really care either way, to tell you the truth," she paused, "but I never told my son."

Vegeta gestured to her hand. "What's the deal with that? Why does he have the emblem of royalty?"

She twirled the chain around her fingers, rubbing the green emerald between her hands as she studied it. "I gave it to him when he was born." She looked up. "It's the only thing of my heritage I had to give." She clenched her fist around it, closing her eyes.

_She screamed, her torso coming off the bed as she strained. Sweat rolled down her face, pooling between her breasts. She clenched her hands into the sheets, her breathing hard. "That's it! One more. We're almost done!" She moaned, feeling a cool cloth compress against her forehead. Opening her eyes a fraction, she briefly gazed at the woman standing beside her, the hair hanging down her back slick from the suffocating heat inside the tent. Her incisors flashed as she gently smiled down at her, her touch gentle. Marie closed her eyes, sighing at the coolness against her skin. She gasped a moment later as another contraction hit, wrenching a scream from her throat. "Come on! Push!" The man at the end of the bed coached, settling another blanket down over the already blood soaked one, meeting her gaze as she grunted, straining. "Almost there," he whispered, watching as a head full of black hair emerged, the baby's arms tucked under his chin, the rest of his body sliding out as she gave another scream. He layed the babe on the towel, gently wiping his mouth and eyes. The boy's tail slowly wrapping around its body as he picked him up, laying him on his mother's chest as he slowly opened his eyes and looked at her. "Hello," she whispered, her eyes shining as she removed her necklace, gently putting it around the newborn babe, the emblem huge against his little body. She traced a finger down his body, studying the odd birthmark winding down his back. The man and woman watched with amusement and awe, as the baby scrunched up its face and let out a wail. A tear slid down her face. She looked up at the man. "I think I'll name him Lynn, after you," she whispered, watching his face brighten. "Really?" he said, his voice full of surprise. "Well, yeah. After all," she gazed down at her son. "You did save our lives."_

Marie lifted the necklace, settling it around her neck, pressing the emblem against her chest before looking up at the two warriors. "I think you've heard enough," she whispered, clenching her fists at her sides. Goku gently nodded his head, walking toward her and wrapping his arms around her, resting his chin on her head. She felt the vibration as he spoke. "You don't have to relive any of it again." She buried her head in his chest, clutching his forearm, her throat thickening with unshed tears. Her tail gently wrapped around his waist. Goku watched Vegeta's reflection in the mirror, the prince's eyes troubled, and meeting Goku's gaze for a moment, quietly left the room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Vegeta strolled into the gravity room, quickly sidestepping as a blast hurdled towards his head. He watched as it disintegrated against the wall, inches from where he stood. He turned around. Marie and Lynn quickly lowered to the floor, watching as he made his way over. He studied their gaze, one stared back in amusement, the other narrowed in suspicion. "Leave us," he demanded, not sparing a glance at the young boy. "NO!" Lynn shot back, defiance etched on his face. He stepped forward, trying to shield his mother's body with his own. Vegeta looked over his head, meeting Marie's gaze.

"Lynn," she said quietly. Her son tensed for a moment, slowly walking around the other warrior, and shooting him another look, left, the door slamming shut behind him. They were both quiet for a moment.

"The boy's pretty protective of you, isn't he," the prince said, studying the woman in front of him. She smirked. "I am his mother," she stated, her tail flicking for a moment before wrapping around her waist. She crossed her arms.

"What did you want Vegeta?" She gazed at him curiously. His eyes met hers, his brows furrowed. "There's something that's been bugging me for a while that I've been meaning to ask you about." Vegeta saw her body tense, as if bracing for an impact. "About what," she asked slowly. He walked over to the panel, pushing a button, listening as the gravity droned, sinking back to normal. He noted the intensity, comparing it to his own. _Damn! How is her kid taking that much pressure?_ He turned around. "How is is that you don't change like a regular saiyan when powering up? Why is your transformation so different?" he asked, a little afraid of the answer.

"What do you mean?" she asked, confusion on her face.

"Like when me and Kakkarot ascend to Super Saiyan."

"Oh," she breathed, visibly relaxing. She shrugged. "I was born under a double full moon," she stated, walking over and grabbing her towel off the floor, wiping her face. Facing Vegeta, she said, "I learned that it's a rare occurrence that doesn't happen very often. As far as I know, I'm the only one." She met Vegeta's shocked gaze, waiting for more questions that were sure to come.

"But," he began, his gaze running over her body, "why is it I've never heard of this anomaly?" Marie shrugged again, clenching the towel in her fist. "I told you, it's rare. I've never heard of it happening before me either, but..." She shot him a look, her brows narrowed. "Wasn't a Super Saiyan a myth to you before Goku changed, then you did it yourself?" Vegeta frowned. "Yes, but from what you've told us, you have been a Super Saiyan a lot longer than Kakkarot!" She waved her hand at him, dismissing the importance of that fact. "If that's what you wanna call it," she said, strolling to the door, leaving Vegeta standing in the middle of the room.

"Marie!"

She turned around, watching as Vegeta made his way over to her, stepping out of the training room. He strolled over, arms crossed over his chest. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she settling her hands on her hips. Vegeta paused, studying her.

"Have you told him?" he asked quietly.

"Told who what?" Marie shot him a confused look.

"Kakkarot!"

She huffed. "What are you talking about Vegeta?" She crossed her arms.

He gazed at her for a moment. "Follow me," he finally said, stepping around her and going into the house. She watched him, unmoving, before finally sighing and following him through the door. He walked through the compound, going up the stairs and briefly pausing outside her bedroom door, flung it open, stepping through and silently waiting for her to enter. She strolled in, flinging the towel into the hamper, before sitting on the bed, tucking her legs underneath her. Vegeta firmly shut the door, leaning against it and gazing intently at her face. She lifted a brow.

"So what's this all about?" Marie asked, a little curious as to Vegeta's odd behavior.

"Have you told Kakkarot about the baby!?" he said quickly, his eyes never leaving her face.

She stared at him, wide eyed. Nobody said a word. The ticking of the clock next to the bed reverberated loud throughout the room.

"How did you know about that?" she whispered, her lips barely moving. Her hands clenched the blankets.

He was quiet for a moment. "Sadine," he finally said, his voice gentle. Her gaze sharpened on his face. "How the hell did she know?" Marie demanded, anger moving over her face. She watched as he shrugged, the movement barely noticeable. "I don't know." She punched the mattress. "Dammit!" she said harshly, swinging her legs over the side of the bed as she studied the floor. Her head jerked up a moment later, a gasp escaping her lips. She looked at Vegeta.

"So, if you know..." she said quietly, "then..."

"Kakkarot knows." He moved away from the door, walking towards her and sitting quietly on the bed. He rested his elbows on his knees, staring straight ahead, rubbing his hands together before clasping them in front of him. He saw her tense out of the corner of his eye, clutching the edge of the bed, her eyes closed. A muscle worked in her jaw.

"Why didn't he tell me he knew?" she demanded, her voice low.

Vegeta lowered his head briefly, before gazing over at her. "I think he was waiting for you to tell him," he stated softly.

She jumped up, walking quickly to the window, throwing it open, and, without another word, shot off into the sky.

Vegeta sat there for a moment, watching the curtains billow in from the breeze, before slowly getting up. He made his way over to the window, gazing out for a moment before softly shutting it behind him.


	20. Secrets

_Secrets_

"Goku."

He turned. Marie stood behind him, the breeze from the open window lifting strands of her hair, blowing them in her face. She seemed oblivious to it. They studied one another, before Goku slowly sat down, the bed creaking under his weight. Marie stayed where she was.

"Vegeta said you knew," she stated quietly. Her eyes bored into his. He didn't ask her what she was talking about. He nodded. He saw her hands shake before she clenched them into fists, her face impassive. A moment passed. He watched as she slowly walked over, coming to stand before him, looking down at him with troubled eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me you knew?" she whispered.

"Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant," he countered, his voice soft. He watched as a muscle ticked in her jaw.

"After hearing you and Vegeta's accusations, I didn't think you would want to know." She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

He rested his hands on her hips, pulling her closer, burying his face in her stomach. She placed her hand on the back of his neck. "Ah, Marie," Goku whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist. He felt a tear hit his arm and, sitting up, grabbed Marie around her waist, depositing her onto his lap, placing her bent knees on either side of his thighs. He slowly rubbed her back, resting his forehead against her own. She flung her arms around his neck, her tail wrapping around his waist, bringing her more securely against him. They studied each other for a few moments, before he swooped down and captured her lips with his own.

* * *

**_-A few days later-_**

_Mom! Help!_

Marie shot up in bed, flinging the covers off, quickly donning her boots before turning and shaking the man laying beside her.

"Goku! Wake up!" He rolled over, quickly awake. He tensed. "What's wrong!"

She threw him his shirt. "It's Lynn. He's in trouble," she explained, flinging the window open, shooting up into the air. She didn't look back to see if he followed.

Goku quickly donned his other shoe, hopping to the window before shooting off after her.

* * *

***Sorry for this chapter being so short! This is just a filler chapter for the unfolding of the next chapter***


	21. Reality

_Reality_

"Mom. Mom! Come on, get up."

I groaned, rolling over and throwing my arm up, covering my eyes. I swallowed, my mouth tasting funny as I sighed, opening my eyes. I sat up, feeling a heaviness settle in my middle. I pushed my hair back, the stringy strands falling back into my eyes as I leaned forward. I struggled to stand, grasping the nightstand for balance. _God! Why do I feel like this?_ I shuffled to the bathroom, the door connecting to my room. I paused, bleary eyed, and briefly glanced at the mirror. I froze. The hair around my face was ragged, dull clumps of brown knots sticking every which way. A plump face stared back at me, her eyes a watery green, her chapped lips hanging open in surprise. I reached up and touched the mirror, my eyes widening even further when I realized I was staring at myself. I grasped the collar of the gown I was wearing, the faded flowers almost mixing with the background, the flannel worn in several places. _What the hell am I wearing?_ I splashed water on my face, washing the sleep indention off my cheek before slowly pulling the door open. A teenager stood there, frowning at me with worry darkening his eyes. His hair touched his collar, the yellow dress shirt hanging passed his waist. His pants sagged around his waist, before bunching a little over his sneakers. "Lynn!" I went to wrap my arms around him, thankful to see a familiar face. He stepped back.

"Are you going to make breakfast, or am I gonna have to eat a bowl of cereal? Again!?" he demanded, impatiently shuffling his feet.

"Why are you acting like this? What did I do-"

"Oh, spare me!" he sneered. "Cut the crap! Okay!?" He turned towards the door, stomping loudly through the house.

I followed him down the hallway, my body feeling sluggish for some reason. He stalked into the kitchen, yanking the door open and grabbing a carton of milk before slamming it shut again. He did the same with the cabinet, jerking it open and banging a box of cereal on the counter, not bothering to close it back. He quickly poured himself a bowl, ignoring me as he angrily pushed a chair back, sitting down and started eating in stony silence. My gaze slid down his body.

"Lynn?"

He didn't answer. I watched as a muscle in his cheek moved as he chewed, before swallowing, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "What?" He didn't glance up.

"Where's your tail?"

The spoon clattered in the bowl, splashing milk on the table before he stood up, grabbing the bowl and sitting it hard in the sink. Anger radiated from him.

"Give me a break," he muttered, before brushing past me and going into the living room, jerking his book bag up and slinging it over one shoulder.

"Where are you going?" I asked. His hand clenched around the strap.

"Here we go!" he said, impatience written on his face. He rolled his eyes.

"To school, mom," he said, his voice condescending. "You know, where you go to class, learn stuff, ride a bus." I briefly looked over the shabby furniture before looking back at him. "Where's Goku?"

He made a sound of disgust in the back of his throat. "His name's Gerald, and my dad isn't here. You're divorced, remember?" he said slowly, as if talking to a child.

"Look! I don't have time for this! I'm late for school as it is! I'll call the doctor after I get out okay. Maybe he can give you more medicine." He grabbed the door handle, and yanking it open, quickly left, banging it behind him. I studied my surroundings again. A beat up old television rested on top of a tiny stand, movies that were slightly dusty stacked beside it. The carpet had seen better years, it's fabric now a dingy brown, permanent stains marking it here and there. An ashtray sat on a ruined coffee table, filled with cigarette butts, ashes scattered around it. Old magazines littered the remaining surface, a few scraps of newspaper that had looked like it had been there awhile resting on the floor. The couch sat against the wall, its stuffing poking out in places, while springs were visible beneath the worn fabric, the orange flowers printed on it faded with time. I turned, pausing in the kitchen. The ugly brown fridge hummed to life, seeming to cough as the scarred surface vibrated a moment before settling down. The stove leaned to one side, the handle missing off the oven door, a black hole stood out on the stove top where a burner used to be. I walked over and shut the cabinet door. The white paint was now gray with age, the counter top chipped around the sink, deep gashed running between the tiles in many spots. _What kind of place am I in? Why aren't I at Capsule Corporation? Did I have another accident? Is this really my place? _I put a hand to my stomach, feeling the excess fat sink in as my hand pressed against my body. Bile rose in my throat. I quickly walked to the bathroom, cellulite jiggling behind me every step of the way.

* * *

"Do you think she's going to be okay?" Krillin whispered, staring at the woman laying on the table. Nobody answered. They all gathered around Marie, watching as her eyelids fluttered every few hours. Her tail lay limp under her, not moving, even when Bulma had taken additional blood work, even going so far as to take bone marrow samples, to see what kind of enzymes the saiyan warrior had been injected with. Lynn stood off to the side, his face etched with grief, every now and then his breath hitched, before he quickly covered it up and struggled to keep his shoulder's from shaking. Goku sat vigilant by Marie's side, not even moving to get something to eat. Instead, he had procured Bulma into bringing his food to the lab, not wanting to leave in case she woke up. Now they were all visiting, hoping that talking to her would bring her back. They wouldn't know anything else until Bulma got the reports back from the main lab in the city. Which could take weeks. Lynn apologized again, seemingly for the hundredth time. "It's not your fault," Goku stated quietly. "You didn't know."

"Oh, that's convenient!" Vegeta said loudly. "It seems like this boy does nothing _but_ get into trouble!" He sent Lynn a dark look, crossing his arms before turning his back on the boy. Goku's hands clenched at his sides. "You're not helping Vegeta," he said, not turning around. "Well," Vegeta began, "my cousin has been through enough as it is, and now she's like this!" He gestured towards the table. "What were you thinking!?" he demanded, aiming his question at Marie's son. The boy looked away. "I didn't go out looking for them." he said quietly, "they jumped me when I was going to see my mother." His tail hung behind him, the tip slowly swishing back and forth. "I didn't know who they were! How was I supposed to know they injected a substance that drained your power, putting you in a coma! I was trying to get away when my mother showed up, and I wasn't going to leave her there to fight alone. Especially when we had no idea who they were or what they wanted!" he paused, his chest heaving, before clenching his fists and glaring at Vegeta. "I jumped in front of her when they shot at her, but she _pushed me out of the way!_" he yelled, tears rolling down his face for a moment before he angrily wiped them away. "I tried to protect her! She's like this because of me!"

Vegeta stared blankly at the young saiyan. "That's right." he stated, "you take full responsibility," he stepped closer, "because she doesn't deserve this! I should pummel you right now for being so stupid!"

"ENOUGH!" Goku shouted, his head whipping around and catching the prince's gaze. Vegeta closed his mouth, grunting. The silence deepened. Bulma walked in, ignoring them as she checked Marie over, taking her temperature, flashing a light in the woman's eyes, checking her pupils. She checked the clamp on the saiyans finger, reading her vitals and writing something down on the clipboard. She sighed, and looked up, already used to them staring at her as her gaze met her best friends. "No change," she said softly. A play of emotions passed over Goku's face, before he clenched his jaw and sat heavily into the chair behind him. The same chair he's been in for what seemed like weeks now. "So you haven't gotten anything back from the medical lab?" he asked quietly. Bulma shook her head, sadness clouding her eyes as she gazed down at the proud woman before her. "I'm worried," she began, her words soft. Goku's head jerked up, and he jumped out of his seat. "About what?" he demanded. The other warriors watched as Bulma struggled to say what had her so worried, not wanting to freak anyone out. She hesitated before continuing, "I'm worried about the baby," she finally stated, meeting Goku's gaze. They watched as his face drained of color, before lowering his gaze to Marie. The other warriors filed out, briefly patting his shoulder before exiting, giving him privacy with his family. Gohan walked up, snaking his hand beneath his fathers', clenching until the knuckles turned white. "She's going to be okay, isn't she dad?" Gohan asked softly, his gaze fixed on his fathers. A moment passed before Goku responded. "I hope so," he whispered, "for her sake, and the baby's."

* * *

I sat on the bed, my gaze slowly moving around the room. Sadness and hopelessness washed over me. _Why am I feeling this! This isn't right! I'm not some middle aged, overweight, frumpy mother who hallucinates! Am I!? This is all just a bad dream, right!? _In my minds eye, I saw my son, a blue spandex uniform covering him from head to toe, his tail whipping behind him before it wrapped around his waist, gazing at me as a smirk settled on his lips. _That's my son! Not this preteen adolescent who hates me and thinks I'm crazy! That's not my son! This isn't my life! _I stared at the little television perched on a patio chair in the corner of the bedroom, an odor of unwashed bodies and stale cigarette smoke clinging to every fabric in the room. The shades were drawn, shutting out the light. Clothes piled the floor. I had to push them to the side just to get to the curtains. _This isn't me! I'm not the kind of person to lay in bed all day, feeling sorry for myself, not caring how I look, or what I wear! Or how I smell! I don't wear these sort of clothes! _I jerked the ugly flannel nightgown over my head, throwing it in the hamper already overflowing with laundry. _UHHG!_ I tore the cotton, granny-like underwear off me, flinging them into the waist basket before running a bath. An hour later, feeling somewhat more alive and clean, I rummaged through the dresser drawers, slinging all the clothes aside, trying to find something descent to wear. _God! Everything looks like something an 80 year old woman would wear!_ I finally found some old jeans in a box in the closet, searching before pulling a candy apple red t-shirt over my head. _It's tight, but it'll do!_

I waited for my son to come home, straightening up as best I could. It didn't take me long. The apartment was tiny! I saved my sons' room for last. Opening the door, I groaned at the mess. Clothes littered the floor, much like my room had, old take-out cartons and empty drink cups were strewn everywhere. Car magazines were piled next to the bed, tucked in beside a desk. A porn magazine stuck out from underneath the mattress, the covers from the bed laying on the floor. I sighed, slapping the trash bag open in front of me, wishing I had gloves on.

I heard the key in the lock a couple hours later, sitting on the couch and glancing through a five year old magazine. I stood up, watching as my son walked through the door, throwing his book bag on the floor. He didn't look at me, keeping his gaze down, strolling to the kitchen. I heard him banging around, a moment later the ancient microwave whirred, dinging moments later. The smell of something hot and sweet filtered through the apartment. Lynn walked back in, plopping down on the chair opposite the couch, shoving half a pop-tart in his mouth.

"Hey son."

He glanced at me, quickly looking away. He threw the rest of the pop-tart in his mouth.

"How was school?" I watched as he paused, looking back at me with a puzzled expression on his face.

"What's wrong with you?" he demanded, narrowing his eyes. "You dying or something," he asked, seeming not to care about the answer.

"I-" The doorbell rang, cutting me off. Lynn jumped up, muttering "Finally!" before wrenching the door open.

A man walked in, clapping a hand onto Lynn's shoulder before resting his gaze on me. "Ah," he said, smiling slightly. "I see you're looking better." He pushed his glasses back onto his nose, rubbing his forefinger and thumb down his mustache before walking over and sitting beside me. He fidgeted for a moment, trying to find a comfortable spot on the cushion. He met Lynn's gaze. "So tell me what's been going on this time. I understand that you said she was slipping back into another fantasy world!?" I waved my hand. "I'm sitting right here! You can talk to me instead of my son, Dr. Briefs."

He sighed. "It's Dr. Brennan, Mrs. Sands. We've been over this. I'm not a scientist, I'm your psychiatrist."

Lynn sat forward. "I thought she was doing better, but guess what she asked me this morning!?"

"Lynn, you have no right-"

He cut me off, " She looked me straight in the eye and asked me where my tail was!"

I started to get angry. "Look, first off, my name is not Mrs. Sands. Second off, I'm a saiyan. Me and my son. We were born with tails!"

Dr. Brennan pinched the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. "Look, whatever you want to call yourself is fine," he said. Lynn looked away from me in embarrassment. "But you need to stop with this "saiyan" nonsense. You're a normal human being. I understand you had a traumatic childhood, but you are hurting your son with these fantasies. You keep making up situations that could never have possibly happened."

"She keeps calling people by different names too," Lynn mumbled. Dr. Brennan shook his head, resting his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands together. "Well, we know your mother suffers from Schizophrenia, falling into a dreamlike state so soon after her last episode is not good."

"I'm right here! I am not suffering from nothing! I KNOW WHO I AM!" I felt my blood boil, waiting for the blast of energy to escape me and give me the satisfaction I needed.

Nothing happened.

My son and Dr. Brennan watched me, as if knowing exactly what I was expecting. "I told you, Marie, you're just an ordinary person, with the same problems as the rest of us. There's no special fighting techniques, no super people milling about. If you keep down this road I'll have to put you in a hospital." The man stated, studying me.

"Call Goku here, he can use instant transmission," I demanded, waiting for the saiyan to appear. I saw Lynn's eyes close.

"His name is Gerald. My dad's name is Gerald!" he said through clenched teeth. "And there's no such thing as instant transmission. Just plain old transportation."

I jumped up, mad as hell. "Call Vegeta, we're related. He'll tell you!"

"Mom! My uncle died years ago, and again, his name was Victor. Victor!"

"Fine! Call Yamcha, or Krillin! Dammit, I'm not making this up! This isn't my life! THIS ISN'T MY REALITY!" I felt tears roll down my face.

"You mean Yamcha being your super, Yancy? And again, Krillin doesn't exist, the man next door is Kenneth," Dr. Brennan stated. He stood, reaching into his vest pocket, sighing. I whirled toward him.

"What about Bulma, or your wife, Bunny?" he didn't glance up from the prescription he was writing. "My daughters name is Brianna. And we've talked this over before Marie," he ripped the paper off the pad, handing it to Lynn. He stuffed the pen back into his vest pocket. "I don't feel comfortable with you calling my wife Bunny. Her name is Veronica." He turned to my son.

"That's a new dose. Make sure she gets one before she goes to bed," Dr. Brennan glanced at me, "if she seems to be getting worse, more so than now, increase the pill intake to two. I wrote it down if you forget." He turned to me, settling a hand on my shoulder. "Please don't make this more difficult than it already is," he asked, before walking to the door, shutting it behind him. Lynn stood up, stuffing the paper in his pants pocket. I glared at him.

"Don't start, Mom! _Please!_" He didn't look at me.

"You know I'm not lying! We've fought-"

"We haven't done anything together," he stated. "Look at you! How can you think you're a fighter! Please! Your overweight, slow, and deranged."

"Don't talk to me like that!" I snapped, glancing at him a moment before noticing something different. "Where's your emblem?"

"Oh My God! MOM! You got rid of that damn necklace years ago. It wasn't any kind of emblem! It was just a small gold chain with a green birthstone!" I watched as he raked his hands through his hair. He turned on his heel, heading for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Out!" he snapped, not turning around.

"Out where?" He spun around, clutching the door handle in his fist. "I'm going out to see some friends, if I stay here any longer, I'm gonna start acting like YOU!" He slammed the door.

I stood there, staring at the door for a moment before I gasped, a thought occurring to me.

"I never said anything about special fighting techniques."

* * *

Goku jerked his head up, focusing his gaze on Marie as he felt her power spike. Her tail flashed gold for a moment, before settling down again. Her fists clenched for a second before relaxing. He shot forward, rubbing his hand down her face, his eyes thoughtful. _What's happening Marie! What are you seeing?_ Goku laid a hand on her abdomen, her skin soft against his rough palm. Closing his eyes, he focused on the little spark, a pinprick of energy that told him the baby was alive. _There!_ Goku smiled softly, dragging his gaze away from her middle back to her face. "Please come back to me," he whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. He didn't move when the door slid open, feeling Vegeta come closer before stopping beside him. "So she didn't wake up after all," he stated, looking down at his cousin before focusing his gaze on Goku. "Her power spiked. I felt it!" Vegeta studied Goku for a moment, then laid his hand over Marie's briefly before turning and leaving. Goku sank heavily back onto the chair once more, wandering for the first time if, in fact, he would actually lose the woman he loved this time.

* * *

I smacked the hand away. It returned, trying to force something hard and bitter into my mouth. I flung my arm up to my mouth, knocking away the foul tasting substance. The bed creaked as someone sat on it, the space beside me sinking a little. Someone tried to push something past my lips again. I jerked away.

"Damn it, MOM! You need to take your medicine!"

My eyes opened up, focusing on my son, sitting beside me on the bed. He held an amber bottle in one hand, and was trying to force a dark red pill down my throat.

"I'm not taking those," I stated, trying to sit up. He watched me struggle, not the least bit sympathetic. Lynn banged the bottle down on the nightstand.

"If you don't take these," he yelled, "and try to get better. I'm going to live with dad!"

"You can't do that!" I gaped at him. "Your father's dead!"

"I can and I will! I'm sick of this bullshit!" he stated, practically running from the room, slamming the door behind him, the lamp on the nightstand rattling. I gazed at the shut door for a moment, feelings of trepidation running through me. _What if...What if this is the real me? Did I really just dream everything up? _I thought about the other day, when Dr. Brennan came over. _I couldn't power up! Mine and my sons' tails are gone. No one seems to be who I think they are. _I grabbed the bottle, staring at it for a moment, before twisting the lid off and shaking a pill into my palm. I stared at the small, dark red tablet. _Maybe that was all a fantasy! What if the doctor's right, and I lose my son in the process!? I can't lose my son!_ I threw the pill into my mouth.

* * *

"We're losing her!"

Bulma and the rest of the team quickly went to work, attaching a breathing mask over Marie's mouth and nose, yanking her shirt up and attaching heart monitors to her chest, someone inserted a needle in her arm, the I.V already dripping clear fluid into her veins. A nurse watched her vitals, intent on the heart monitor placed beside the table. Alcohol pads were ripped open, blood extracted from each arm, one nurse continued to draw blood as another slapped a label on theirs and ran from the room. The noise slowly died, the only sound after a few moments was the heart monitor, beeping a slow rhythm throughout the room.

Goku watched all the commotion from the shadows, his breathing labored as fear choked his airway. The last doctor left, after what seemed an eternity, and Goku made his way back to Marie's side. He gazed down at the whiteness of her face, silently praying that this was all a dream, that they were back in his bed, snug up against one another. He squeezed his eyes closed. Then opened them. Marie still lay on the table, unconscious.

"Dad!?" Gohan and Lynn ran into the room, knocking the nurse that was blocking the door down, his head hitting the wall as he flew sideways. "We heard...Is she...? She's not...!?" Gohan couldn't finish his sentence. Lynn gazed down at his mother in fear. "Why is she letting go?" he whispered, shooting a confused look at Goku. Goku momentarily closed his eyes, before opening them and focusing on Marie's son. "I don't know," he said gently, helplessness etched on his face. A tear traced down Lynn's face, before disappearing under his collar. He grasped the necklace hanging down his chest, the emblem biting into his palm. He squeezed his eyes shut.

"Mom! Fight! Wake up!"


	22. Actuality

_Actuality_

_Mom! Fight! Wake up!_

I shot up in bed, sweat rolling down my face. My shirt was soaked, cooling momentarily as the fan swiveled towards me, then away again. I raised a shaky hand to my forehead, running it through my damp hair, wiping it a moment later on the comforter. I waited, letting my breathing return to normal, before throwing my legs over the side of the bed. I threw the cover off me, walking to the bathroom, throwing cold water on my face. I dried my face with a towel, the course fabric scratching my cheek. I walked out into the hall towards my sons' room, noticing the light under the door. "Hey son," I pushed the door open, "did you call for me?" I popped my head in. Lynn lay face down on his bed, sounds of music floating up from the c.d player he had on, one earphone pushed off his head. He was fast asleep. I slowly walked to him, pulling the equipment off him, turning it off, and setting it on the desk. I covered him up before I left the room. Puzzled, I walked to the kitchen, making a pot of coffee in an old coffee maker I found underneath the sink. The water weakly poured thru the spout, pooling in the pot, looking for all the world like weak tea. I sat down at the table, sipping the concoction, grimacing. _What was that?Are the hallucinations coming back? _I gazed into my coffee, hoping against hope that that wasn't the case. _I can't lose my son. He's all I've got!_ I got up and poured the foul tasting coffee down the sink. I closed my eyes, my hands clenching the counter. _Please don't come back!_ I let out a sigh, going into the living room and turning the TV on, the volume low. I watched as some kind of infomercial came on, advertising "real" jewelry at rock bottom prices. I layed back on the couch, pulling a cushion under my head, and waited.

* * *

"Goku, you need to go home and get some rest. You've been sleeping in that chair for too long! Go get a bath and change your clothes."

"No."

"We'll call you if something happens, if she wakes up, or..." Bulma's voice trailed off, letting her arm drop from Goku's arm, sighing as he sat, stone faced.

"I'm not leaving," he stated, not looking up.

Bulma momentarily closed her eyes, weariness enveloping her. "I'll pull a cot out," she said, slowly walking out of the room.

An hour later he was fast asleep, after positioning the cot next to Marie, ignoring the protest of the doctors, and Bulma. He had threatened dismemberment if someone moved it while he was asleep. The doctor's quickly left him alone.

Lynn quietly walked into the room, pausing for a moment, looking down at Goku sleeping soundly, before making his way over to his mother. He studied her, his throat working, clenching the edge of the table with his fingers. Watching the slow rise and fall of her chest, he extracted a bag attached to his belt. He had forgotten about it, in the whirlwind of beating Sadine, getting to know the people he now calls family (_except for Vegeta), _learning about his mothers' pregnancy, and now this. It had been tucked away, in the armor he had worn while on the aliens ship, balled up in the back of the wardrobe in his room. Letting out a shaky sigh, he unraveled the bag, letting the contents spill into his hand. He picked one up, pausing when he got to his mother's chin.

"Do it."

Lynn's head jerked up, meeting black eyes filled with desperation. Goku sat up, the cot creaking as he pushed to his feet, coming around to stand beside him. Lynn's throat worked, afraid that what he was about to do might hurt his mothers' chances at recovery.

"But what if..." his soft voice trailed off, looking at the emotion in Goku's face.

"We have nothing to lose," Goku stated quietly, his voice cracking. Lynn's eyes widened slightly, surprised the older saiyan would break down in front of him. He looked at his mother again.

"Do it," Goku said harshly. Lynn gazed once more at the man who loved his mom, before leaning forward and pushing the bean between her lips.

* * *

I came awake with a start, grogginess disorienting me a moment before realizing I was laying on the couch. The TV was still on, the infomercial having given away to a Saturday morning cartoon. I felt around for the remote, grabbing it from the couch cushion before blindly shutting the TV off. I sighed, closing my eyes for a few more moments before rolling over, sitting up and rubbing the hair out of my eyes. A familiar voice echoed through my mind. _Oh no, not again!_ I quickly stood up, stumbling my way to the kitchen. Yawning, I grabbed the eggs and milk, quickly pouring it into the pan before grabbing a loaf of bread and popping it into the toaster. I searched in the fridge for some bacon, but only found a half container of bologna. I shrugged. Meat is meat. Scooping the eggs to one side, I threw the pieces of bologna into the frying pan. Buttering two pieces of toast, I listened as my son ambled down the stairs. I set the platter of food on the table a moment later, watching as Lynn stopped short in the doorway. He didn't say anything for a moment.

"Smells good." He walked over and grabbed a plate, quickly filling it and diving in. My smile melted off my face as something flashed through my mind. Lynn was seated at a different table, his hair down to his waist in wild abandonment, armor encasing his chest, moving with his movements as he wolfed down his food in similar fashion. I blinked, the image fading. My son was watching me, a frown on his face. "What's wrong," he asked softly. Clenching the rag hanging from my hand so he wouldn't see the trembling, I sent him a small smile. "Just a dizzy spell. Nothing to worry about." I sat down, filling my plate. "Probably from not sleeping well last night." I smiled at him, silently sighing with relief as he shrugged, bending his head and continued eating.

Hours later, I gave up. Throwing myself on the bed, I let myself succumb to sleep I had been fighting all day. It was confusing, because I didn't lose that much sleep, when I woke up this morning, sweating. I found myself nodding off at odd times of the day, jerking awake moments later. The feeling that something wasn't right crossed my mind. Probably just exhaustion. I knew my mind was playing tricks on me again, earlier when I had been talking to Lynn. We had been discussing the possibility of him going to his dad's for the summer, only three weeks away. That had scared me. Thoughts of never seeing my boy again made me shake. It must have been fear making me see things today. Lynn had been asking me a question, both sitting at the table opposite each other, when everything had went mute. I watched as his mouth moved, but no sound came out. I think he asked me a question, because his eyebrows lowered in confusion at my silence. I stared at him, terrified, as his face begun to melt. One side had started sagging, drips of tan flesh hitting the table, one eyeball beginning to sink in. I blinked, and his face was back to normal. I had quickly ran to the bathroom and retched. Thinking about it now, I chalk it up to exhaustion. _Things are terrifying when I'm exhausted. _

_I saw a man standing over me, his black hair going every which way, his neck bulging with muscle. A tingling started in my abdomen. He smiled softly at me, reaching a hand up and gently caressing my face. I stared at him in confusion, puzzled of how this man came to be in my room. I tried to move, but exhaustion had me sinking back down into blackness._

I woke up, my body laying where I had fallen hours earlier, my feet hanging off the bed. _Who was that!?_ I felt desire well up in my stomach, groaning as I rolled over, frustrated. _No chance in hell that was real. No one like that would want someone like me._ I sighed in disappointment, getting up and walking into the bathroom, quickly running a bath. I took my clothes off, sinking into the hot water as I thought about my dream. Running a soapy hand down between my breasts, I closed my eyes, conjuring up the man, his intense gaze boring into mine, the heat from his eyes almost scorching. I let my hand drop. _You're an idiot!_ Shaking my head, I got out and quickly dried off. Looking at my naked body in the mirror, I slowly shook my head at my own foolishness. _To think someone like that would be attracted to this! _A pudgy, slightly pear shaped figure stared back at me from the mirror. _Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who am I kidding, most of all!_

* * *

They waited for five hours for her to wake again, but Bulma finally shooed everyone out. Goku ignored her, and Lynn didn't budge. "I need to give her a bath!" Bulma stated, scowling up at the stubborn saiyan. "I can do it," he said, his voice low. She let out an exasperated cry, throwing up her hands, grabbing Lynn's arm, and stomping out, slamming the door behind her. Goku waited for the click stating the door was locked, before gently lifting Marie off the table. He gazed down at her for a moment, watching her breath, her mouth parted slightly as she let out a low sigh. He tightened his hold on her, walking to the industrial bathroom and closing the door. He locked it for good measure. Goku gently laid her down on the tile, walking over and filling the tub with steaming hot water before hurrying back towards the sleeping woman. He gently removed her clothes, folding them and setting them on the bench against the wall. He quickly shed his own, picking her up and stepping into the tub. He sank down, positioning her on his lap, her back against him, her head resting against his shoulder. He slowly and methodically bathed her, running a sponge as big as his hand down her body. He squeezed the sponge on top her head, soaking her hair before setting it aside, grabbing the soap and gently lathering her hair, running his hands down her body as he washed her. He cupped water into his hands, letting it trickle between his fingers onto her skin, washing the soap away. He layed a hand on her abdomen for a moment, closing his eyes, savoring the feeling of her against him. Goku stood, lifting her in his arms, water cascading down them both, as he stepped out of the tub, grabbing a towel with one hand and holding her with the other. He quickly pulled it over Marie, sitting down next to their clothes on the bench, holding her close. He rested his chin on the top of her head, listening to her breath in and out, rocking gently. He smoothed his hand through her hair, before tracing his thumb across her cheek. "Find a way back to me," he whispered, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against her own. Sighing through his nose, he stood, pulling her clothes back on her before doing the same with his own. He threw the towel over the door, cradling Marie to his chest as he walked back into the lab. Gently laying her back on the table, he looked up, noticing Lynn standing at the door, knocking softly. Going over and flipping the lock, he stepped back, allowing the boy to rush in, his tail whipping behind him as he practically ran to his mother. Goku shut the door, locking it back, before walking back over towards mother and son.

"Did she do anything!? Did she wake up!?" Lynn whispered, apparently afraid his voice might disturb his mom. Goku shook his head, crossing his arms and stating quietly, "I wish she had."

Lynn nodded, watching as Marie's arm lifted for a moment, before laying back down. He looked up at Goku, grinning. "It worked," his happiness apparent in his voice, "I can't believe the bean worked!" He looked eagerly at Goku. "Do you think I should give her another," he whispered, mentally counting how many were left in the little bag upstairs. Goku shook his head.

"Lets give it a few more days," he stated, his gaze intent on Marie.

They both sat down on the cot, watching the woman they loved slowly breath in and out.

* * *

_I'm losing my mind._ I grabbed the amber bottle glaring back at me from the medicine cabinet, staring at it for a moment before shaking one of the dark red pills into my hand. I shoved the piece of plastic back onto the little shelf, gazing at the little red solution resting innocently in my palm. I hesitated before throwing it back, remembering the last time I took it, weeks ago. I had woken in a cold sweat, hearing voices. _Wasn't this supposed to stop that? Why would I hear the voices if I'm drugged?_ I closed my palm, pausing, before opening it again. I gazed at it for a few more minutes before opening the cabinet and placing it gently onto the glass, quickly shutting the mirror before I changed my mind. I kept my hand on the corner, gazing at myself for a moment in the pane of glass. _"_Oh, to hell with it!" I yanked the bottle back out, knocking the loose pill off the shelf, watching as it swirled around the sink before disappearing down the drain. I hesitated for a second, before quickly opening the bottle and pouring the remaining pills into my hand. I gazed at them a moment longer before turning my wrist, listening to the pings as they bounced around the sink, before quickly disappearing.

_I heard people talking. What were people doing in my room? I lifted a hand, rubbing my temple for a moment, before noticing that the angles of my face were different. What!? I slowly ran my hand over my face, my cheekbones jutting a little against my hand, noticing the hollowness of my cheeks, before moving down to my throat, the slender curve surprising under my fingertips. "Is she awake!" Lynn! I opened my eyes, six pairs of eyes staring back at me. I jumped a little in surprise, my gaze resting on Lynn's face before lifting my arm and grabbing his hand. The man I dreamed of weeks ago stood near my head, his gaze unwavering as he studied me. He frowned as I gazed at him in confusion. "Don't you recognize any of us?" he whispered._

I jerked awake, my breath hitching in my throat for a moment before slowly dissipating. A shadow moved at the foot of my bed. I let out a scream.

"Whoa, Mom! It's just me." My son's voice reverberated through a tunnel, the sound seeming far away as I gazed up at him. I watched as he walked towards me, his footsteps coming slower and slower as if he was walking through molasses. I watched in horror as the walls started to run, oozing like wet paint in a storm. I gasped as Lynn raised a hand towards me, reaching for me as his skin slowly melted, his body slowly puddling on the floor. I screamed.

"Marie. Marie!" My eyes popped open, staring at the florescent light above me before glancing to my right. I let out a shuddering breath, my hand trembling as I touched my son's face. He grasped my hand, grinning from ear to ear. "Welcome back!"

Someone chuckled. I looked over. _Oh my God! Goku! Bulma! Krillin! Yamcha! Vegeta! They were all real. I wasn't crazy! _I closed my eyes, relief coursing through me as someone caressed my face. I opened them again. Goku stood over me, much in the same way as my dream. _It wasn't a dream!_ He gazed at me a moment, before swooping down and searing my lips with his. I distantly heard someone chuckle, and another cough, before everything went silent. Goku raised his head. I glanced around. Everyone had left. He studied me a moment longer, resting his hand on my abdomen, before swooping down for another kiss.

_I'm Home!_


End file.
